Andrew Embury
Andrew's Story

Andrew joined Watsi on February 21st, 2016. 18 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Andrew's most recent donation traveled 970 miles to support Bo, a bright young student from Thailand, for tumor removal surgery.

Impact

Andrew has funded healthcare for 67 patients in 12 countries.

Patients funded by Andrew

Mu Hee is a 23-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her parents, older brother, sister in-law, three nephews and three nieces in a refugee camp. Mu Hee’s older brother is the sole income earner in their family. He works as a nurse in the camp’s hospital, which is run by International Rescue Committee (IRC). Mu Hee’s parents and her sister in-law look after the household chores. Mu Hee’s nieces and nephews are students and Mu Hee is a Bible school student. Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020, she has been studying online in the refugee camp. Her teachers support her school fees and food. In her free time, Mu Hee likes to play with her nieces and nephews. She also loves to listen to music and sing. When Mu Hee was 14 years old, she began to experience severe abdominal pain. The first time it occurred, her father called a medic who lived close to their house, and the medic gave her an injection. She felt better after the injection, but continued to feel unwell every month. When she was 15, her father took her to the clinic in the camp to check whether Mu Hee had a serious illness in her abdomen, but the medic could not find any problem. Mu Hee's pain continued and she continued to receive treatment to help, but she did not think that her condition was serious because she had heard from her friends that some women experienced pain during the first day of their period. In early 2020, Mu Hee spoke about this condition with a staff member from a nearby clinic and with one of her teachers. Both urged her to get a check-up, and in February 2020, Mu Hee went to a clinic and a medic found a mass in her left ovary. Doctors have tried to treat her with medications for almost a year, but the mass has continued to grow. During a follow-up appointment in January 2021, the doctor told her that she would need surgery. Recently, Mu Hee has experienced pain in the left side of her lower abdomen almost every day. The pain is on and off and she feels most uncomfortable when running or walking, especially over long distances. She also experiences some pain as she does other basic daily tasks. Mu Hee sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery, and she is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Mu Hee said, “The first time when I heard that I have a mass in my ovary, I felt very sad. I am also worried that the mass might be cancerous. I think about my condition very often, but my parents are very supportive, and they encourage me not to be afraid. I believe that I will no longer experience pain after surgery.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Jue is a 25-year-old woman who lives with her family in a village in Hmawbi Township, Yangon Division, Burma. Her parents are housekeepers, and her youngest brother is a first-year university student who has been seeking work. Jue used to run a beauty salon, but had to stop working four months ago when her health deteriorated. In her free time, Jue likes to watch the news and videos relating to her work at the beauty salon. She also likes to read books and wants to write a book of her own someday. In August 2020, Jue felt pains in her stomach and chest. She would also experience difficulty breathing sometimes, and she would feel tired when she walked for a longer period of time. Jue went to the clinic in her village, where she received oral medication, but she did not feel better after taking it. She returned to the clinic several times over the course of two months, but her condition continued to worsen – the chest pain, difficulty breathing and feeling of fatigue happened more often. Jue decided to go to another clinic in North Okkala Township in Yangon in November 2020. At the clinic, the doctor listened to her heart with a stethoscope, and informed her that she has a congenital heart condition. The doctor recommended she receive a blood test, an echocardiogram (echo) and an electrocardiogram (ecg) at a hospital. After visiting a hospital to receive those tests, the doctor there told her that she was born with a hole in her heart and that she might need to receive surgery at the general hospital. However, the cost of surgery was too high. Luckily, Jue crossed paths with another former patient and was referred to Watsi's Medical Partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) to seek assistance with accessing treatment. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On January 24th, U Win will undergo an atrial septal defect closure procedure. Once recovered, her quality of life will significantly improve and she will be able to return to working at her beauty salon. Now, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Jue shared, “I want to get better as quickly as possible and go back to work. I’m worried about my younger brother. He doesn’t have a job, and he needs to graduate from university. I’m also worried about Covid-19 because nobody has a job right now.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Megan is a 3-month old baby girl from Tanzania, and the only child to her single mother. Megan was born with clubfoot and spina bifida, which contributed to her acquiring hydrocephalus. Megan’s father left their family when her mother was five months pregnant and they lost any contact with him. Megan's grandmother, who was also a single mom after her husband passed away at a young age, depends on selling second-hand clothes. Her income is very limited to be able to provide for her children and be able to afford school fees. Due to this, Megan's mother was not able to continue with her studies due to financial challenges and joined her mother in selling second hand clothes. Megan has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Megan has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Megan will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,300 to cover the cost of surgery for Megan that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 21st and will drain the excess fluid from Megan's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Megan will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Megan’s mother says, “I have no one to run to for help and support, all my relatives have told me they can no longer support us in any way and yet my daughter is suffering. Please help save my daughter.”

$1,300raised
Fully funded