Hatsumi is a 19-month-old baby who lives with her parents and five older siblings. Her mother sells flowers in the market and her father takes care of her and her brothers and sisters at home. Hatsumi was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, where a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart, causing blood leakage. This often leaves her weak and short of breath. Hatsumi and her family traveled to our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, to seek treatment. On March 8th, Hatsumi will undergo a surgical procedure where doctors will sew a patch over the hole to prevent blood from leaking through. Now, Hatsumi's family needs help raising $1,500 to fund the procedure. Hatsumi's mother said, "Our family is praying that our daughter will be able to breathe more easily once her surgery is over!"

Cherop is an 80-year-old married man with five children who are grown up and married. He lives in a semi-arid area where millet, sorghum, and cassava are planted as food and cash crops. He lives with his wife and a grandson who assists them with farm work. About a year ago, Cherop began to experience abdominal pain that was of gradual onset associated with irregular abdominal swelling, especially after taking meals. He initially thought the condition would better with time, this he did not visit any health facilities. However, as the pain persisted, he began to experience nausea and vomiting, preventing him from consuming solid foods. As a result, he has begun to lose weight and strength, impacting his physical and emotional health. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, has scheduled Cherop for a double hernia repair surgery on February 3rd. With the surgery, hopefully, Cherop will return to a life free of pain. Cherop and his family need help raising $737 to fund his procedure and care. Cherops’ grandson says, “My grandfather has been suffering for some time now. Sometimes we eat well and after a while, he feels pain and vomits a lot. Food has not been helping him of late. Kindly help him so that he may become healthy and happy as before.”

Lwin is a 37-year-old wife and mother who lives with her husband and son on the Thai-Burma border. Lwin and her husband work as day labourers in a temple as a cook and gardener. In her free time, Lwin likes to garden and enjoys growing vegetables to eat and to donate to the temple. Lwin also likes to watch Thai movies. One night in March 2021, Lwin had a rapid heartbeat and felt dizzy. Lwin could not sleep that night so her husband brought her to a clinic the next day. The doctor referred her to Mae Sot Hospital in an ambulance, where she underwent diagnostic tests, but never received a diagnosis. Lwin was given medication to stabilize her condition. During her follow-up appointment in June 2022, Lwin received an echocardiogram and was diagnosed with mitral valve stenosis. The doctor then referred her to Chiang Mai Hospital for further treatment. Currently, Lwin suffers from shortness of breath and heart palpitations. Lwin reports her arms and legs feeling heavy and trouble sleeping. Lwin has little appetite and she has to sleep propped up on pillows. On January 13th, Lwin with receive surgery to improve her condition. Our medical partners, Burma Children Medical Fund, are helping Lwin raise $1,500 to cover the cost of this life altering surgery. Lwin shared, "I will never forget the donors who will help pay for my treatment cost. When I recover fully, I want to learn how to sew so that I can open a shop from my home and work as a seamstress."