Marco Alban-HidalgoUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER

Marco's Story

Marco joined Watsi on July 23rd, 2016. Ten years ago, Marco joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Marco's most recent donation supported Anna, a student from Haiti, to fund treatment leading up to, and following heart surgery.

Impact

Marco has funded healthcare for 143 patients in 14 countries.

Patients funded by Marco

Ester is a 13-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her parents, her younger brother, and two younger sisters in a village in Karen State, Burma. Ester and her three younger siblings go to school while their parents are small-scale farmers. They also raise chickens and pigs, and they forage for vegetables in the forest for their own consumption. They also have a small garden where they grow betel nut trees, and they sell some of the betel nuts to earn a small income. Sometimes, Ester’s father also finds work as an agricultural day laborer. In her free time, Ester loves to help her mother with household chores and also play with her friends at school. She wants to become a teacher when she grows up. Ester was born with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a condition in which a hole exists between the two upper chambers of the heart. Sometimes ASDs may close on their own during development, but sometimes this condition requires surgery to repair the hole and prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Ester is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on July 7th to correct her condition and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help cover the cost of Ester's procedure and care. Ester's mother shared, "I would like to thank BCMF and your donors for your kindness and willingness to support my daughter. Without you, my daughter would not receive treatment as the cost is too high for us, and we cannot borrow such a large amount of money from our neighbours. On behalf of our family and our daughter, thank you to your donors and everyone willing to help my daughter.”

$972raised
$528to go

Rehema is a 16-year-old girl from Tanzania. She is the second-born in a family of six children and lives in a large household where her father has two wives. Rehema’s mother, the second wife, plays a central role in caring for her children, while the family relies mainly on animal keeping for survival. Rehema is currently in class five, determined to continue her education despite the challenges she faces. Rehema was diagnosed with genu valgus. This is a condition that has affected both her legs for five years and has gradually worsened. Several factors could cause this condition, such as growth disorders, vitamin deficiencies, or excessive fluoride found in contaminated drinking water. As a result, the knees can be angled inwards or outwards, making it difficult to walk and may cause long-term joint damage. Walking long distances, such as going to the market, fetching water, or going to school, has become painful and exhausting for her. Her parents worry deeply about her future, especially as the pain continues to limit her mobility. Doctors have planned for a right distal femoral osteotomy (DFO), a procedure that will help correct the deformity, reduce her pain, and allow her to continue her schooling with confidence. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $777 to fund treatment for Rehema. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 9th at our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Treatment will hopefully restore Rehema's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Rehema says, "I really hope that one day I will be able to help my mother with chores without her being concerned most of the time."

$777raised
Fully funded