Andrew's Story

Andrew joined Watsi on August 29th, 2013. Three years ago, Andrew joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Andrew's most recent donation traveled 5,200 miles to support Daliya, a single mother from Malawi, to fund a mastectomy.

Impact

Andrew has funded healthcare for 63 patients in 14 countries.

Patients funded by Andrew

Sothany is a 23-year-old woman who lives with her mother and father in the Prey Veng province of Cambodia, where her parents are rice farmers. She has four brothers and four sisters. When Sothany was younger, her parents noticed that her spine was not straight; however, they could not afford proper healthcare for her. As she has grown up, she has had more noticeable changes, including uneven hips and shoulders, prominent ribs, and a shift of her waist and torso to the side. For the past few years, Sothany's disability has increasingly affected her breathing as her rib cage presses against the lungs, making it more difficult to breathe. Sothany is very self-conscious about her spinal deformity and limited mobility. As a result, she quit her job in a clothes factory and stays home with her mother. She makes homemade videos to sell lotions and creams on social media. Her parents first heard about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), in early 2020. However, they were unable to travel due to COVID pandemic travel restrictions. Today, Sothany's symptoms have greatly increased including muscle imbalance, pain, and difficulty breathing. Sothany and her parents traveled for two and a half hours to our medical partner to seek intervention for her disability. Sothany will undergo a posterior spinal fusion with implants at CSC's care center on August 1st. Sothany is contributing $100 to pay for her care, and CSC is requesting the remaining $1500 to fund the procedure. This will cover radiology, medications, surgery, and post-op physiotherapy care. Sothany said, "After surgery, I hope my spine will be straight. I want to walk with my friends and not have hard breathing, work to support myself, and not be ashamed of my back."

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Kenn is a 26-year-old food handler from Philippines. He lives with his partner and has an income of $200 a month which is just enough to provide for their daily needs. In addition to his needed treatment, Kenn is worried because he already holds debts from a previous hospitalization. In March 2022, Kenn began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe stomachache, back pain, and vomiting. He was brought to the nearest hospital to receive urgent care. After a series of tests, he was diagnosed to have a gallstone. Unfortunately, he cannot afford his surgery and had it delayed. Consequently, his symptoms worsened as he experienced chest pain and yellow skin discoloration. He went back to his surgeon to be checked and was diagnosed with Chronic Calculous Cholecystitis. Kenn must undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder to heal. If left untreated, his symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Kenn is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on March 3rd. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the requesting $1,128 to cover the cost of Kenn's surgery and care. Kenn shared, "The treatment cost is very expensive and we can't afford it. Thankfully, Watsi and World Surgical Foundation Philippines have good hearts and are willing to help me. I'm so grateful for their generosity. May the Lord continue to bless them."

$1,128raised
Fully funded

Chit Htun is a 21-year-old man from Burma who lives with his mother, two sisters and a brother. His mother is a homemaker, while Chit Htun and his siblings are students. They are supported financially by two aunties and Chit Htun's former teacher. Chit Htun was born with spina bifida as well as hydrocephalus. When Chit Htun was just over a month old, he had a shunt inserted in his brain to control hydrocephalus. In October 202, Chit Htun fell down the stairs in his home and hit his head during the fall. Since that time, he has been experiencing headaches and dizziness with occasional loss of consciousness. Chit Htun's mother brought him to a hospital in Yangon, where he received a CT scans showing that the original shunt was in place. A second shunt was inserted to help with the loss of consciousness, but the headaches and dizziness continued to be a problem. In October 2022, Chit Htun had a seizure, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Chit Htun's mother brought him to Mae Sot Hospital, where he received a CT scan on November 28th, 2022 with the help of Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). The doctor diagnosed Chit Htun with severe chronic hydrocephalus and suspected shunt malfunction. BCMF is now fundraising $1,500 to help cover the cost of surgery to replace Chit Htun's current shunt. Chit Htun's mother shared, "My son and I have been in Mae Sot for the past two months and we are homesick already. I hope that he will receive surgery soon and recover from his symptoms."

$1,500raised
Fully funded