Asaph is a 64-year-old farmer and father of eight children who lives in Malawi. Two years ago, he started experiencing difficulty passing urine and increased nighttime urinary frequency—symptoms related to an enlarged prostate.
The prostate gland surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body. An enlarged prostate—known as benign prostatic hyperplasia—is a common condition in older men due to hormonal changes. As the prostate gets larger, it squeezes the urethra, causing problems with urination.
Asaph has been unable to sleep restfully and has had difficulty providing for his family due to pain and discomfort associated with the catheter he uses to empty his bladder.
For $742, Asaph will undergo surgery—transurethral resection of the prostate—in which doctors insert an instrument into the urethra to remove the part of his prostate that is blocking urine flow. After surgery, a catheter will be inserted temporarily to remove urine from the bladder. When the urine is free of blood or blood clots, the catheter will be removed, and Asaph can urinate on his own.
Funding for Asaph also pays for a three-night hospital stay, lab tests, medicine, and transportation to and from the hospital for him and two caregivers.
It is expected that, after his surgery, Asaph will make a full recovery and be able to live catheter- and symptom-free.
“Before I had to go to the bathroom four to five times every night,” shares Asaph. “Now I will be able to live a normal life again.”