Christina E SassUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Christina's Story

Christina joined Watsi on January 12th, 2020. Three years ago, Christina joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Christina's most recent donation supported Aye, a creative cook and mom from Burma, to fund heart surgery.

Impact

Christina has funded healthcare for 51 patients in 9 countries.

Patients funded by Christina

Aye is a 33-year-old mother from Burma. She lives with her husband, mother, son, and three nephews. Aye and her mother take care of the household, while her husband works as a taxi driver and her son and nephews attend school. Her family also manages a small piece of land where they grow rice and raise livestock for their consumption and to provide additional income. In her leisure time, Aye enjoys staying updated with the news and watching movies on her phone. Aye 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. Aye is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on April 9th to correct the atrial septal defect and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of Aye's procedure and care. Aye said, "After I have recovered, I want to support my son to finish his education. I enjoy the routine of bringing him to school and picking him up afterward. Additionally, I have a plan to open a grocery store at home. Cooking is a passion of mine, and I love discovering new recipes online and bringing them to life in my kitchen."

$703raised
$797to go

Enita comes from Ntcheu District and is a widow who lost her husband in 2011. She has 6 children of which the first four are married while the last two are aged 18 and 16 respectively. She is a farmer who is also supported by her last two children. Enita is grateful when she has time to rest and enjoys eating anything available. Enita was well until 10 years ago when she noted a small lump on the right side of her neck that was not painful. She did not bother visiting the hospital since this problem did not affect her daily activities. As time passed, the lump kept on growing bigger and bigger though without pain up until December 2023 when she shared that things got out of hand with her condition. She noted a blister that was very painful and affected her daily activities. She decided to visit her son who lives in the city of Lilongwe where different tests were done, and a diagnosis of goiter was made at Kamuzu Central Hospital. She was then referred to our medical partner's care center Partners in Hope Medical Center (PIH) for further management. Currently, she is experiencing pains from the scratched wound on her neck, neck heaviness, and frequent coughs that have affected her daily activities. On January 19th, Enita met the surgeon who confirmed the diagnosis of right goiter and the need for surgical intervention called thyroidectomy, which is the removal of part of the thyroid gland. Enita was referred to the Watsi program for assessment due to her financial instability. After a thorough assessment, she was eligible and thanks everyone for their consideration. Her daughter-in-law is helping commit some funds for her treatment support and their family needs help raising $1,015. Enita believes that the surgery will help her get better and continue to live a normal life. She shared, “Kindly help me. I need my peace of mind.”

$576raised
$439to go

Christine is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She is married and blessed with four children aged between 17 years and 1 year who are all in school except the last one. Her husband is a builder, and they live with her parents in a two-room mud house for shelter. They combine efforts to develop and support their family. Eleven years ago, Christine began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling associated with pain, difficulty in swallowing, and loss of voice. She is also unable to carry heavy items and experiences headaches. She visited Rushoroza Hospital for treatment. She was diagnosed with a goiter and surgery was recommended to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Christine receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 24th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Christine says, ‘‘I believe and pray to have a successful surgery. I hope to continue with farming after my recovery to be able to support my husband and our family. May God bless you.’’

$204raised
$129to go

Veneranda is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She studied up to primary school class seven, but was not able to continue with schooling due to a lack of financial support from her parents. She later got married to a farmer with whom she has seven children. They all did not go to school due to limited finances. Even with her illness, she still pushes herself to work to provide for her family. 10 years ago, Veneranda began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling. She underwent a thyroidectomy but five years later the swelling reoccurred accompanied by pain. She visited Rushoroza Hospital seeking treatment. She was diagnosed with a bilateral multi-nodular goiter. She needs surgery again to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Veneranda receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo another thyroidectomy on December 1st at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Veneranda says, “I believe this will be successful so I can get back to my day-to-day life."

$333raised
Fully funded

Prudence is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She studied up to primary school when she was young, but then dropped out due to a lack of financial support from her family. She now lives with her husband together with their five children. Her firstborn is a twenty-year-old carpenter, the second born is 18 years old and a cyclist, the third born is twelve years old in 5th grade, her fourth born is in fourth grade, and her youngest is in the first grade. Education is very important to her for her children's future. Their family lives in a three-room mud house for shelter. She used to practice farming but currently she is unable due to her illness. Twenty years ago, Prudence began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling that has grown in size over the years. Currently, it involves mild pain and affects her airway when breathing. She visited Rushoroza Hospital to seek medical advice where she was diagnosed with a goiter, but cannot afford the surgery costs. However, she needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Prudence receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on November 17th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Prudence says, “I believe the surgery will be successful and when I am well and recovered, I will be able to go back to my farming to be able to support my family.”

$333raised
Fully funded

Winne is a small-scale farmer and mother of eight children from Uganda. She lost her husband five years ago. Her children have not been able to attend school, and they cannot afford to look after their mother financially. She used to practice farming before she got ill, and she hopes to continue after recovering. Fifteen years ago, Winne began to experience troubling symptoms, including difficulty in swallowing food and a neck swelling that has increased in size over the years. She was diagnosed with right multinodular thyroiditis. This condition causes her airway obstruction, and she can no longer work comfortably. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Winne receive treatment for thyroid removal surgery on November 3rd at our medical partner's care center. This procedure costs $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Winne says, "I pray for a successful recovery, and after treatment, I will resume farming and be able to better support my family."

$333raised
Fully funded

Edina, a 41-year-old mother of seven, works as a vegetable seller, earning about $2.97 per day for her family's upkeep. She finds joy interacting with her customers and has a fondness for chicken and nsima, a Malawian staple porridge made from maize flour. Four years ago, Edina discovered a small, painless swelling on the right side of her neck. After seeking medical advice at a nearby hospital, she was diagnosed with goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland. She was instructed to wait for an opportunity for surgery, but her condition has worsened, causing breathlessness, neck pain, and difficulty lifting heavy objects. This has affected her work capacity and resulted in a decrease in income. Inspired by a fellow community member's journey to seek help, Edina visited our medical partner's care facility, Partners in Hope Medical Centre, where a surgeon reconfirmed the need for a thyroidectomy, the surgical removal of all or part of your thyroid gland. Faced with financial hardships, Edina is seeking support for her surgery treatment. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Edina receive treatment. On March 20th, surgeons at PIH will perform a thyroidectomy to relieve her symptoms and help her resume her vegetable business at full capacity. Now, Edina needs help to fund this $1,015 procedure. Edina says, “I feel so fortunate to get the opportunity for support. Thank you so much, I believe surgery will help me get back to normal life."

$223raised
$792to go

Thein is a seven-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her mother and grandfather and is currently a first-grade student. Her father works as a driver at a toy factory in Bangkok and Thein’s mother stays home to care for her. The family relies on her father’s income, which is enough to cover their daily expenses. They are able to pay for basic healthcare, but they cannot afford expensive treatment costs. During her free time, Thein enjoys helping her mother with household chores. Currently, Thein faces difficulty seeing objects clearly, requiring the use of thick eyeglasses. Additionally, she must sit in the front row of the classroom, near the blackboard, to follow her teachers’ lesson. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Thein. On February 16th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Thein's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she and her family need help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Thein’s mother said, “Thank you [BCMF and donors] for helping my daughter to get a good and clear vision. I pray for the donors to have wealthy lives and continue helping others.” Thein also said, “I want to be a teacher when I grow up and thanks for your help.”

$777raised
$723to go

Claudy is an 11 month old child from Haiti. He is the youngest child in his family. He lives with his mother, father, brother and sister and is very playful. Claudy has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Claudy has been experiencing Increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Claudy will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $897 to cover the cost of surgery for Claudy at Hospital Bernard Mevs that will treat his hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available and the procedure is scheduled to take place on July 4th. This critical treatment will drain the excess fluid from Claudy's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Claudy will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. The family is hoping that the surgery will allow him to grow and enjoy a healthy life without further challenges.

$897raised
Fully funded

Panha is a 7-year-old second grader who lives with his parents on the southern coast of Cambodia. His mother works in a nearby canned food factory, and his dad works in construction. Panha loves creating art, eating Cambodian street food, and learning Cambodian culture and history at school. In July 2022, Panha was playing at home when he accidentally knocked over a boiling pot and sustained burns on the lower part of his body. Burn scar contractures have developed around his hip and groin, making it difficult for him to walk or attend school comfortably. When Panha's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On May 16th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help Panha walk easily and feel comfortable again. CSC is requesting $495 to fund this procedure. Panha's family contributed $100 to his care. Panha's mom said, "I hope Panha feels better after surgery and can focus at school."

$495raised
Fully funded

Kyaw is a 25-year-old father from Burma. He used to work as a farmer and a day laborer, but he had to stop working seven months ago due to his accident. Kyaw's family grows paddy for their consumption and raises chickens and pigs. During his free time, Kyaw enjoys exercising. In April 2023, Kyaw fell from a tree while collecting honey, resulting in a fracture in his right femur. Since then, he has experienced significant pain and swelling in his right leg, making it difficult for him to walk. Currently, Kyaw relies on crutches to get around. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Kyaw will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for November 15th and will cost $1,500. The surgery is essential for Kyaw's recovery, as it will alleviate his pain and help him walk comfortably again. Kyaw said, "I was shocked and disappointed after knowing that the surgery would cost more than 40,000 baht (approx. 1,335 USD). I want to get the surgery and recover, but I have no idea who will support me and where I can get that much money. If I recover, I will work and support my family. Now that I learned that BMCF will help me get surgery, I feel so happy and excited."

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Loy shared, "I hope after this surgery my eye can see well again so I can take care of my husband well." Loy is a 73-year-old grandmother living in Cambodia with her husband, two children, and three grandchildren. She is a retired rice farmer and spends her time caring for her husband who is disabled. In her free time, she likes to visit the pagoda in her local village. About ten years ago, Loy developed a cataract in her left eye. The cataract causes her irritation, blurry vision, and photophobia. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, thus is unable to travel on her own. When Loy learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for over two hours to seek treatment. Luckily, surgeons at CSC were able to quickly diagnose Loy's issue, and create a treatment plan. On April 24th, surgeons will perform cataract surgery and implant an intraocular lens in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. CSC is requesting $253 to help fund this procedure.

$253raised
Fully funded