Carolyn SLeznikow
Carolyn's Story

Carolyn joined Watsi on October 26th, 2016. 19 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Carolyn's most recent donation supported Eliya, a friendly and active six-year-old from Tanzania, to fund leg surgery so he can run and play as he grows up.

Impact

Carolyn has funded healthcare for 53 patients in 10 countries.

Patients funded by Carolyn

Lesina is a married mother of two. Her firstborn was born in 1995 and has special needs that require a lot of support from Lesina. Lesina likes spending a lot of time with her and ensures her safety all the time. Her other child is 13 and is a 5th grade student. Lesina sells tomatoes at a nearby market while her husband is a driver. They own a three-bedroom iron sheet-roofed house for shelter. She also raises some local chickens with free-range farming, but shared that most of them were stolen. Currently, her family has no land where they can do farming and usually has to buy food from the market. Lesina was well until 2019 when she started having a lot of abdominal pains and other symptoms. She went to a clinic and was given medication which helped for while. But, her condition kept recurring. In 2020, she started feeling a hard mass on the left side of her abdomen and when she came to the hospital again the clinician ordered a cancer screening for her. During the procedure, the nurse felt a mass that is suggestive of uterine fibroids. She was referred to a gynecologist who after scanning and examination confirmed the diagnosis of uterine fibroids and ordered surgical intervention of a procedure called total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) which is the full removal of the uterus. Fibroids are abnormal growths that develop in or on a woman's uterus. Sometimes these growths become quite large and cause severe abdominal pain and heavy bleeding. If left untreated, fibroids can continue to grow, both in size and number and the symptoms will become worse. The fibroids' pain may increase and the heavy bleeding may become worse leading to anemia which may be fatal. After the surgery, it is expected that Lesina will stop having abdominal pains and heavy bleedings and will lead a full, healthy life. She is scheduled for surgery on January 3rd and is appealing for financial support. Lesina says, “I have heard that some uterine fibroids can burst and cause serious problems, I don’t want that to happen to me. My handicapped firstborn needs me in sound health to continue caring for her. Kindly support my surgery.”

$1,363raised
Fully funded

Ar is a 28-year-old man who lives with his wife, three sons, and two daughters in a refugee camp. Originally from Burma, his family fled to Thailand 20 years ago due to civil war. His children attend school, except for his youngest daughter, who is not yet old enough. His wife is a homemaker and Ar works as a day laborer when work is available. Ar's family shared that, in addition to his day laborer pay, they receive a monthly cash card from The Border Consortium to purchase food in the refugee camp. Overall, the family's total monthly income is just enough to cover their basic needs. On September 2nd, Ar climbed a tamarind tree to pick tamarinds fruit. When the branch he was standing on suddenly broke, he fell and landed on his right arm and experienced pain in his back. He visited the camp hospital that day, and the medic initially determined that his arm was not broken. Due to recent positive COVID-19 cases in the refugee camp, Ar could not be immediately referred to the local hospital for further testing and was kept for observation at the camp hospital. When the pain in Ar's back and arm did not subside the next day, the medic referred Ar to the local hospital. After receiving a negative COVID-19 test, Ar was finally able to visit the hospital on September 6th, where he received an X-ray for his arm and a blood test for a second COVID-19 test. The X-ray revealed that his upper right arm is broken. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Ar will undergo surgery on September 8th to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure will enable Ar to continue working in the future. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Ar shared, "I am scared to receive surgery. But I was told that I will not be able to work using my right arm if I do not receive surgery, so I gave my consent to the doctor. I hope that I will be able to work again after I receive treatment."

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Kayiok is a 33-year-old father from Kenya. He has four kids aged between 7 and 11 years of age. He is the sole breadwinner for his family, selling cattle in the markets around Narok to make an income. For the last three years, Kayiok has struggled with stomach pains and prolonged upsets that give him sleepless nights. It started off as a small pain in his stomach area that gradually worsened. He visited several facilities in his home area, which treated him for gastritis. The treatments were only occasionally effective at reducing the pain. In the last three months, Kayiok's condition has significantly worsened. He started having more pain in the right upper and lower quadrant of his epigastric region, with associated heartburn. The pains worsen when he is hungry, with slight relief after eating. He mainly eats porridge and milk, because his heartburn is worse with solid foods. When he came to the hospital on February 12th, doctors conducted several tests and diagnosed him with a duodenal ulcer. He needs to undergo an urgent laparotomy and gastrojejunostomy surgery to ease his stomach pains and distress. Unfortunately, Kayiok cannot afford the cost of his care. He does not have medical insurance coverage and has been paying for his medical bills with cash. Several trips to different health facilities for the last three months have depleted his small savings. He currently relies on well-wishers to buy medication. Kayiok is unable to afford the surgery and is requesting financial help. Kayiok will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo a curative laparotomy on April 23rd. African Mission Healthcare is requesting $616 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Once recovered, he will be free of pain and will be able to eat normally and go about his daily life activities as he used to. Kayiok shared, “I have been struggling with this stomach problem for years now. I have even lost a lot of weight and my condition is worsening. I need this surgery to get well.”

$616raised
Fully funded