Mike's Story

Mike joined Watsi on February 18th, 2016. Seven years ago, Mike joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Mike's most recent donation supported Yabsra, an active and outgoing kid from Ethiopia, to fund surgery for a birth condition.

Impact

Mike has funded healthcare for 93 patients in 12 countries.

Patients funded by Mike

Linn is a 50-year-old woman from Burma. She is divorced and lives with her mother and son in Karen State - a conflict area near the border of Burma and Thailand. She works as a shop vendor, selling steamed sticky rice with chicken and pork, and her mother is retired. Her 12-year-old son is in the fifth grade in Burma. Linn also cultivates vegetables in her garden and usually cooks meals using them. Linn enjoys watching movies in her free time, but she has not been able to do so for a while now. One year ago, Linn began to experience blurred and double vision. Currently, Linn cannot read, see, or walk well and requires a caregiver to assist her with daily activities. These symptoms have made it increasingly difficult for her to see clearly. Linn was diagnosed with retinal detachment, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the supportive tissue in the eye, resulting in vision loss. If left untreated, she could lose vision completely. Linn is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach her retina. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), requests $1,500 to cover her procedure and care costs. After her surgery, Linn's vision will hopefully be restored, and she will resume her daily activities comfortably. Linn expressed, "I am very pleased to receive help and I am relieved that I can also stay at BCMF's patients' house in Chiang Mai. I wish for the success of my eye surgery. After recovery, I hope to restart my previous business again."

$932raised
$568to go

Saw Ywa, who is an eight year old fourth grader, lives with his parents, his two sisters, and a brother, in Mae Ra Ma Luang Refugee Camp in Thailand. His mother helps at home, while his father works for an organization in the refugee camp. Saw Ywa loves to go to school, and to play football. When Saw Ywa was two months old, his mother noticed a concerning swelling. His parents brought him to the clinic in the refugee camp, where they were told to bring Saw Ywa back when he was five years old, and at an appropriate age for surgery they were told. Over time, Saw Ywa’s parents noticed that the swelling was increasing in size. He would also experience pain sometimes. is parents brought him back to the clinic, and after another examination, Saw Ywa was diagnosed with an irreducible inguinal hernia, which would require surgery. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is seeking $1,486 to fund the hernia repair surgery that Saw Ywa needs. The procedure is currently scheduled for May 18th, at Mae Sariang Hospital. After he has recovered, Saw Ywa should no longer suffer from the pain that he lives with now. He should also be able to walk comfortably, and to be free of the embarrassment he feels by the visible bulge in a sensitive area. Saw Ywa’s father said: “He loves to play football with his friends. But sometimes, he feels ashamed to play because his friends will make fun of him. I hope after surgery he will be free from discomfort and shame.”

$1,486raised
Fully funded

Ashin Mala is a 30-year-old monk from Burma. He became a monk a year ago and currently lives in a monastery in Karen State. He receives two meals a day and cash donations from worshippers. In October 2022, he visited the house of a member of the ethnic armed group in the village. At the home, a child was playing with a pistol and accidentally shot the gun, hitting a wall. Unfortunately, a part of the bullet ricocheted off the wall and hit Mala in his left eye. Immediately, Ashin Mala was brought to a hospital, where an X-ray showed that bullet shards were lodged under his left eye. The doctor removed most of the bullet shards and closed the gunshot wound. Though time has since passed, he still feels pain in his left eye and has lost vision in that eye. He has also developed itchiness and a burning sensation in that eye. Eventually, he was brought to Mae Sot Hospital in Thailand, where, with the help of Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) and Watsi donors, he underwent a CT scan. The results showed multiple foreign bodies in his left eye, most likely shards left from the bullet, and indicated that his left eyeball was most likely ruptured. He was then referred to Chiang Mai Hospital (CMH), where an ophthalmologist told him they would have to remove his left eyeball. He was then admitted for surgery at CMH on February 22nd. Mala needs help raising $1500 to fund this procedure that will relieve him of his pain. Ashin Mala said, "I believe my pain will disappear after the operation. I want to get rid of the pain. Afterward, I will work hard to attend Dhamma University. I want to become a preacher. I will preach about Dharma [the teachings of Buddha] around my country.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Eliud is a 41-year-old truck driver. He is quiet and talks with a lot of calmness. He is married with two children aged 2 and 6 years and the sole breadwinner for his family, as his wife is a homemaker who does not have any source of income. To earn a living, Eliud works as a truck driver earning a commission on jobs. He shared that depending on the availability of work, his income is often inconsistent and negligible. Following a road accident, he has been unable to work and his family has been incapable of raising funds for his treatment. He is requesting financial assistance as he has no medical insurance coverage. On 12th March, Eliud was involved in a road accident. While driving his truck, he swayed off the road as he tried to avoid a pedestrian and hit a post, suffering a broken ankle and a bruised leg. He was rushed to a local health facility for first aid and later referred to our medical partner at Kijabe Hospital for surgery and an orthopedic review. An x-ray revealed a right open tibial plafond fracture. This is the joint between the tibia and ankle bone. He went to the operating theater and had an external fixator, called ex-fix, put in place to stabilize his bones. He was discharged two days later and advised to come after two weeks for a clinic check-up. When he returned to the clinic, doctors determined that an urgent tibial plafond ORIF (Ankle ORIF) is required. It is difficult for Eliud to walk or work. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On April 5th, Eliud will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again and he will be able to resume work to earn for his family. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $979 to fund this procedure. Eliud says, “I broke my leg during this accident and cannot walk. As a driver, I cannot work because of the fracture. I need this surgery to make the leg well and be able to drive.”

$979raised
Fully funded