Xavena is a young woman from Haiti. She lives with her older sister and her sister's family in a small farming village in central Haiti. She previously worked tailoring clothes but has been unable to work in recent years due to her cardiac illness. Xavena has a heart condition called severe rheumatic aortic regurgitation. One of the four valves in her heart was severely damaged by an infection she suffered earlier in her life. The cardiac surgery Xavena needs is not available in her country so she will need to fly to the United States to receive treatment. On October 18, Xavena will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will surgically remove her damaged heart valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $25,000 to pay for surgery. Xavena's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and follow-up medical care. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, checkups, and follow-up appointments. Xavena shaed: "I am hopeful that after this surgery I will have the energy and strength to return to work and pursue my goals in life."

Proscovia is a 29-year-old lady from Uganda. She had been employed in a factory for the past five years. However, when she became pregnant, she was dismissed from the payroll due to the factory's policy of not allowing employees with babies. This left her with no choice but to become the primary caregiver for her baby. Her husband works as a security assistant at a supermarket. Unfortunately, both lack the means to raise the necessary funds for the surgery that she now needs. For the past two years, she has been experiencing progressive neck swelling which is worsening. Proscovia has begun to experience troubling symptoms including speech difficulties, and is unable to talk well anymore. Even small activities cause her to become easily fatigued. Moreover, she sometimes struggles to breathe appropriately and experiences profuse sweating, especially at night. She was diagnosed with multinodular goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Proscovia receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on July 4th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Proscovia shared quietly, “I kindly seek consideration and support for my surgery. I will be very grateful and live a better quality of life as I look for another job for a living.”

Amilaku is a 2-year-old boy from Ethiopia who loves to play football with his mom. His mom is raising him on her own and spends her days caring for him, collecting firewood from the woods, and fetching water from springs. This work requires her to travel long distances and carry the wood and water on her back. She also sells traditional beer to earn a living; however, income from this venture is limited, so her parents support her by giving her some grains from their farm at harvest time. Since birth, Amilaku has had an inguinal hernia that causes him to have a reduced appetite, burning or aching sensations at the bulge, and experience pain and discomfort. Amilaku's mom desperately wanted to seek medical attention for her child, but the nearest health facility was three days away, and she did not have the resources to facilitate their transport. Her hopes of finding treatment for her child diminished. A social worker heard her story and communicated with BethanyKids, our medical partner's care center, who facilitated their travel and accommodation to the hospital. Happily, on December 5th, Amilaku will undergo hernia repair surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $512 to fund Amilaku's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Amilaku's mom said, "I hope with this surgery, the bulge will disappear, and he will get normal and free of any complications."