Mike SilagadzeUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Mike's Story

Mike joined Watsi on November 4th, 2015. Eight years ago, Mike joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Mike's most recent donation traveled 7,200 miles to support Saw Ki, a second grader from Thailand, to fund a fracture repair procedure on his left elbow.

Impact

Mike has funded healthcare for 74 patients in 13 countries.

Patients funded by Mike

Saw Ki is a 10-year-old boy living with his parents, sister and a brother in Mae Ra Ma Luang Refugee Camp in Thailand. Saw Ki is in grade two and his siblings also attend school in the camp. At school, Saw Ki’s favorite subject is Koraen literature. In the future, he would like to become an agricultural day laborer and work hard like his father. On the morning of January 30, 2021, Saw Ki was playing with his friends when he slipped on some rocks and fell onto his left arm. Right away, his left arm became extremely painful and his left arm looked deformed. Saw Ki was brought to the refugee camp’s hospital run by Malteser International (MI) Thailand. After a medic completed a physical examination, the medic told him that they thought his left forearm was broken. Saw Ki was referred to Mae Sariang Hospital to receive an x-ray. There, the doctor confirmed that his left forearm was broken and referred him to Chiang Mai Hospital for surgery right away. Currently, Saw Ki cannot move his left hand and he is in a lot of pain. He has been receiving pain medication while waiting for surgery. This surgery is costly for Saw Ki and his family. Saw Ki's father used to work as an agricultural day laborer in nearby villages, but he can no longer work since the refugee camp went into lockdown following the outbreak of Covid-19. His mother is a homemaker. Although their household receives a cash card with 2,200 baht (approx. 74 USD) every month to purchase rations, this amount is not enough. Their family struggles to make ends meet without Saw Ki’s father’s income, and they appeal for financial support. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Saw Ki will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for February 2nd and will cost $1,500. After surgery, Saw Ki will no longer be in pain and he will be able to return home, play with his friends and also continue his studies. Saw Ki shared, "I want to play a lot of games with both of my hands, like before. I am not scared of receiving surgery."

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Collins is a young boy from the northeastern slopes of Mt Kenya in Meru County, Kenya. He is 5 years old and is the firstborn in a family of two children. His mother is a housewife, while his father is a mason. Collins was born with clubfoot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. Since birth, he has had serial casting treatment, but his condition has yet to improve. Both his mother and his sibling also have neglected clubfoot conditions. Collins has difficulty with walking and wearing shoes, and is unable to play with other kids. In January 2020, he was able to undergo a left posterior medial release (PMR) with Watsi support, and his foot has corrected well. As a result of the surgery, he is able to wear his left shoe and his walking has improved. However, his right foot is still deformed and requires surgery for him to be able to walk comfortably and confidently on both feet. Fortunately, Collins' family traveled back to our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on his right foot on January 11th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Collins's clubfoot repair. This surgery will be very impactful for Collins because he will be able to walk, play, and enjoy life like other children. His mother is grateful for the support for his first surgery, and again appeals for support for this procedure as their income level is not high enough to afford his needed care. Collins' mother shared, “I would like to thank CURE Hospital and AMH-Watsi who made possible my son’s first surgery. May the almighty God bless you. I continue to plead for support for the planned surgery on his right foot so that he can fully walk without any difficulty.”

$1,286raised
Fully funded