Fatuma with her two daughters, Sumeya & Nasriya

 Fatuma Ismael is a 32 years old resident of Harar, Ethiopia.  She is married and has two beautiful children; Sumeya and Nasriya.  They are 6 and 5 years old, respectively.  They are both in Kindergarten at Shaikh Abubaker School.

Fatuma had difficulty breathing, walking long distances, as well as conducting physically demanding tasks since she was 13 years old.  However, she did not know the real cause of her ailments until she was pregnant with her first daughter, Sumeya.  It was during her pregnancy that her doctor diagnosed Fatuma as having a heart ailment.

Fatuma was told that she needed to have a surgery to save her life, which she is unable to get in Ethiopia due to lack of expertise in the nation.  The doctors recommended that she go abroad to have the surgery if she can afford the expense.  However, Fatuma is financially unable to travel abroad for her much needed surgery.  Therefore, she has been living with anxiety and worsening condition for 7 years after her diagnosis.