Martin ZieglerUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER

Czech Republic
Martin's Story

Martin joined Watsi on April 8th, 2015. Eleven years ago, Martin joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Martin's most recent donation traveled 3,200 miles to support Habtamu, an 11-year-old boy from Ethiopia, to fund surgery on his leg.

Impact

Martin has funded healthcare for 112 patients in 14 countries.

Patients funded by Martin

Ly Chheng is a 77-year-old man from Cambodia. He lives in Phnom Penh with his wife and their third child, who works as a tailor. He has six children in total, all of whom are married and have their own jobs. He is no longer working, and in his free time, he enjoys planting vegetables around his home. Ly Chheng has severe cervical spinal stenosis, a condition in which narrowing of the spinal canal puts pressure on the spinal cord. He has experienced intermittent numbness and weakness in his hands and extremities for approximately four to five years, with his symptoms becoming progressively worse since early 2026. He now experiences numbness and weakness in both hands, hand clumsiness, difficulty walking steadily, and frequent urges to urinate. He also has neck stiffness and pain that can extend toward his shoulders. These symptoms have made it increasingly difficult for him to move around safely and manage his daily activities independently. Ly Chheng's family was referred to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), to seek specialized care. On August 17th, surgeons at CSC plan to perform cervical spine decompression to relieve pressure on his spinal cord and help prevent further deterioration. The surgery costs $1,500, and his family can contribute $50, but they need help covering the remaining $1,450. After surgery, he hopes to have less numbness and weakness, walk more steadily, and become more independent in his daily activities. Ly Chheng said, “I hope the treatment will relieve the pressure on my spinal cord, improve the numbness and weakness in my hands, and help me walk more steadily. I want to be more independent and able to manage my daily activities more comfortably.”

$914raised
$536to go

11-year-old Allan lives in Kenya with his mother and older brother. His mother, who is a single parent, works as a tailor to support her family. Two years ago, Allan was playing with friends at school, when he tripped. By the next day, his leg was swollen and painful, and he was unable to walk. His mother quickly took him to the nearest dispensary, where he received an injection, but the pain didn't go away. The swelling continued to get worse. Allan was then taken to a district hospital, where an X-ray showed damage to the soft tissue in his leg. He was given medication, but the swelling and pain got even worse, and he began having trouble breathing. Allan was then admitted in another hospital for a week, where he was put on oxygen. He still couldn’t walk, and further scans revealed that he had broken bones. Allan was referred to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, where he had a fracture repair surgery in April 2023, to repair the damage. This was followed by another surgery in February 2024 to remove the plates from the first surgery, and to replace them with new ones that would better hold his bones together. Allan was to undergo a bone transport surgery towards the end of 2024, but his wound was severely infected, so he had to undergo several procedures in 2025 to clean and close up his wound, before he could proceed with the bone transport. His wound has been healing well, and he is now set to undergo bone transport surgery. Unfortunately, Allan's national health insurance is now depleted, due to the multiple surgeries. The income that Allan's mother earns barely covers the basic needs for her elder son, who is in high school, and Allan, who has required frequent medical care after his injury. She has been relying on the kindness of others to help with hospital bills, but has not been able to raise enough money for Allan’s upcoming surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $1,500 to cover the cost of Allan's surgery, which is scheduled to take place on February 4th, at AIC Kijabe Hospital. Allan is looking forward to a time when he will be fully recovered, and can return to school. He said: “My friends go to school, but I stay at home because of my leg injury. I am supposed to be in Grade 7, but for now, I stay at home.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

James is a 19-year-old final-year secondary school student from Kenya, hardworking and deeply grounded in his faith. Outside school, he serves faithfully at his church, offering his time to clean and help maintain the premises. On 3rd January 2026, James and his cousin went to church to clean and prepare it for the service that was to take place the following day. After finishing their work, they began walking back home. Traffic was heavy, and before crossing the road, James paused to make sure it was safe. As he started walking across the road, a matatu, which was overtaking recklessly using the pedestrian path, hit him. The vehicle did not stop. It sped off, leaving James lying injured on the road. His cousin rushed to him and called for help. With the support of well-wishers, a kind passerby offered to bring them to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital. At the emergency unit, doctors found that James had suffered a fracture to his left leg, along with serious bruising to his right hand. He is in severe pain and still in shock. The medical team has advised that he urgently needs surgery: a left tibia debridement and an ORIF (open reduction and internal fixation). James’ parents, who are his only source of support, have been unable to raise the required hospital bill since the accident. James was expected to return to school on 7th January after the holidays, but due to the accident and his current condition, this will not be possible. The accident happened suddenly, and they have no means to meet the medical costs. Despite everything, James continues to trust that with proper treatment, he will heal, return to school and complete his studies. It is difficult for him to walk and he is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On January 5th, James will undergo a fracture repair procedure at AIC Kijabe Hospital. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. “I am in so much pain right now, and it feels like my life has come to a standstill. I won’t be able to report back to school at the moment, but I believe all will be well,” James shares.

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Tsegazeab is a four-year-old child from Ethiopia. His father works as a daily laborer, and his mother braids hair for a living. Despite their hard work, their income is very limited and often not enough to cover daily needs. Tsegazeab was born with hypospadias, a condition that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of future complications Tsegazeab's parents noticed the condition at birth. They visited a health center and learned the condition could be corrected surgically—but at a cost far beyond their means. His father recalls: “When we heard about the financial burden of surgery, we just lost hope.” For a long time, the family did not seek treatment, believing they could never afford it. Tsegazeab’s mother also shared that she had once tried to seek help at a government hospital but had to stop because of the high treatment costs. Everything changed when a neighbor, who had successfully received surgery at BethanyKids at Myungsung Christian Medical Center (BKMCM), our medical partner's care center, shared his experience and encouraged the family to seek care through its services. Tsegazeab’s father contacted the program facilitator, who reassured him that help was available and guided him through the process. The organization provided the family with accommodation during their stay, and the hospital team supported them throughout their journey of care. Without this support, the family would not have been able to afford the surgery. Fortunately, Tsegazeab is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on October 2nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,293 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. Tsegazeab's father said, "I hope he will get the surgery and heal. After the surgery, I want to tell about this program to my community so others can benefit from this also."

$1,293raised
Fully funded