Mark's Story

Mark joined Watsi on May 3rd, 2016. Seven years ago, Mark joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Mark's most recent donation supported Belta, a 14-year-old student from Kenya, to fund spinal surgery.

Impact

Mark has funded healthcare for 446 patients in 13 countries.

Patients funded by Mark

Catherine is a three year old toddler and is the second child in a family of two children. She lives in Tanzania. She is a quiet and laid-back child who doesn’t speak much. She enjoys spending time with her mother, who is employed as a pharmacist. This sometimes requires her mother to take her to work. Catherine’s father is a carpenter, crafting furniture in Mpanda. Both parents work diligently to meet their family’s needs, but their income is limited, preventing them from covering substantial medical expenses. Catherine has clubfoot of both legs. She began displaying signs of bowed legs when she started walking. Her legs gradually bowed outward, and while the defect was mild, it worsened as she grew older. This condition causes discomfort when she walks, making it challenging to ascend stairs or squat. During one of our partner's outreach visits, the medical team had the opportunity to meet Catherine and her parents. After a brief assessment, the team diagnosed her with fluorosis and bilateral bowleggedness. Following our visit, the family was advised to seek treatment at the medical centre. In August, after a two-day journey, Catherine arrived at the centre. She quickly felt at ease, as she was familiar with some of the medical team members. Following an initial meeting, she was scheduled to see an orthopaedic surgeon. Fortunately, Catherine's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, The Plaster House NGO. There, the team will begin clubfoot treatment on September 14th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund Catherine's clubfoot repair. After treatment, her legs will be corrected and she can grow up active and healthy. Catherine’s mother says, “I wish my daughter to be better, this condition limits her so much and I feel sorry for her because she has a hard time keeping up with her friends.”

$935raised
Fully funded

Samwel is a five-month-old baby from Gilalumpa, Tanzania. He is the youngest child in his family, born into a polygamous family of two wives and eleven children. The family relies on livestock-keeping as their primary livelihood but lack the means to generate sufficient income to cover expenses. They reside in a communal boma or community enclosure consisting of seven small mud huts, each hut divided into two rooms, which accommodate their entire family. Samwel’s mother, Namag, gave birth to him at home, and while the delivery went smoothly, Samwel developed some health issues a few days later. Observing an abnormality in Samwel’s left foot, the family initially took no action as they had no understanding of the condition. When a concerned neighbor noticed his foot, the family sought medical treatment. However, due to their financial situation, the family was unable to afford the necessary care. Fortunately, doctors offering mobile clinic services set up camp near the family's home. Samwel’s parents managed to attend the clinic, where the doctors recommended assistance from Fly Medical Services (FMS) for transportation to Arusha where treatment would be available. Samwel has congenital clubfoot of left foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape or position as the tissues connecting the muscles to the bone (tendons) are shorter than usual. Clubfoot causes difficulty walking and wearing shoes. Samwel's family was able to travel to visit our medical partner's care center, The Plaster House NGO. There, the team will begin clubfoot treatment on September 22nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund Samwel's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Samwel’s quality of life will significantly improve as he grows. The treatment will enable him to walk comfortably, wear shoes, and alleviate any concerns his parents may have about his condition and his future. Samwel’s mother says: “I would like my son to be well. I want him to enjoy long walks with his brother when he grows up.”

$935raised
Fully funded

Adrine is a 47-year-old woman who resides in a village in southwestern Uganda, where she earns her livelihood as a farmer. A dedicated mother, Adrine raised four children: two daughters and two sons. Her elder son is a policeman, while the other is engaged in business ventures. Both of her daughters are married and work as farmers too. Despite her determination, Adrine faced insurmountable barriers in her education. Due to financial constraints, she could only complete the 7th grade. Her primary source of income is now derived from farming, and her husband supports the family working as a laborer, helping on other people's farms to make ends meet. Five years ago, Adrine began to experience troubling symptoms, including a persistent neck swelling. This condition has significantly impacted her daily life, causing shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, pain while swallowing, and hoarseness of voice during speech. Although Adrine did not visit a doctor when the symptoms were mild, they worsened over time, prompting her to seek medical help. She was diagnosed with bilateral goiter--an enlargement of both lobes of the thyroid gland. Adrine needs surgery to relieve her symptoms and prevent them from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Adrine receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on October 10th 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. Adrine says, “I am looking forward to being relieved from pain, all the symptoms it had always brought to me, and to having a good recovery after surgery.”

$252raised
Fully funded