Logan's Story

Logan joined Watsi on May 23rd, 2013. One year ago, Logan joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Logan's most recent donation supported Chanthorn, a 21-year-old farmer from Cambodia, to fund spinal surgery.

Impact

Logan has funded healthcare for 17 patients in 9 countries.

Patients funded by Logan

Meet Sabina: a married mother of six children aged 23, 16, 12, 10, 6 and 4 years from Malawi. She is a farmer together with her husband. Her first child is married with one child and the rest of the children are in primary school except the last born who is yet to join school. Sabina likes chatting with her children and enjoys eating nsima made from maize flour with vegetables. Sabina was well until 18 months ago when she noted a small lump on her right breast that was not painful. She visited the nearest hospital where she was referred to Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) for further assessments. At KCH, different tests were done, and a diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma was made followed by four cycles of neo-adjuvant therapy during September 2023. Sabina was later scheduled for surgery that same month, but unfortunately she did not report back since her last child was sick and admitted to the hospital for malaria. On January 16th this year, Sabina went back to KCH where she was referred to our medical partner's care center PIH for a modified radical mastectomy. Of late, Sabina has been experiencing needle pricking pains that are becoming unbearable without pain-relieving medications plus backache, weakness, and leg & chest pains affecting her farm work plus household chores. Sabina believes the surgical operation will help her get back to her normal condition and for her to continue taking care of her children and resume her farm work. Sabina said, “It is better to remain with one breast than have two with problems, I will move on with one breast.”

$1,194raised
Fully funded

Maria is a 16-year-old girl who hails from a sizable family comprising of six siblings. Following her father’s death, they are now under the care of their single mother in Karatu, Arusha region. Despite facing challenges such as a delayed milestone condition, Maria is currently a secondary school student. Initially experiencing delays in sitting, walking, and running, as well as intellectual development, Maria spent much of her time indoors with her parents. Despite difficulty blending in with her peers, she now relishes attending school and excels in her classes. Her notable success in primary national exams paved the way for a promising secondary education. Maria’s healthcare journey began when she was three years old when her parents observed her leg twisting downward. Maria has clubfoot of right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Financial constraints prevented them from addressing her medical needs, and despite this condition, Maria discovered joy in life through participation in a choir. Recently, Maria’s family learned about our partner Kafika house and their services. Filled with hope, Maria’s mother and brother embarked on a journey, leaving the center with optimism about her foot condition. Following introductions, an assessment was done by the team there. Now the team will begin her clubfoot treatment on December 15th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund Maria's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Maria's mobility will significantly improve and she can continue chasing big dreams. Maria says: “I hope my leg improves. Walking long distances can be exhausting, and I look forward to being able to enjoy dancing while singing in the choir.”

$935raised
Fully funded

Kenay is a sweet eleven-month-old baby boy from Ethiopia who loves to play with his mom. He is the fourth child of his parents. Kenay has started weaning and is eating Plumpy Nut, a nutrition supplement donated by the government and organizations to children with malnutrition, as Kenay was underweight. Kenay’s dad is a farmer and has land, but because of the drought, they couldn’t harvest enough, even for the family’s consumption. Initially, Kenay got his emergency colostomy from Sekota Hospital, which was supported by the community. However, he became so sick and underweight that his mother and some family members lost hope in his ability to survive. Fortunately, his mom heard about our medical partner’s care center, BethanyKids, from a social worker, and upon learning that they could get treatment for his condition, their hope increased. Bethany Kids covered the family’s transportation and accommodation to bring Kenay to the hospital, where the medical team first put him on a nutrition program for over four months to treat malnutrition. Now, Kenay’s weight is normal, and he is fit for surgery. Kenay was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. He needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. The long journey with multiple issues with his colostomy care has significantly impacted the psychological health of his parents, and they are requesting financial assistance with his surgery cost. Kenay is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct his condition on November 22nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,500 to cover Kenay’s procedure and care costs. After his recovery, Kenay will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Kenay’s mom said, “I hope my child will get treatment, and I hope he will heal after the treatment. I hope I will see him growing up and start a decent life.”

$1,170raised
$329to go

Simwenda is a three-year-old boy from Tanzania. He resides in a village in the Mpanda district. His parents, hardworking farmers, work daily to provide for their family’s subsistence needs. Simwenda was born with a clubfoot - a birth abnormality in which the foot is twisted out of shape or position. The tissues connecting the muscles to the bone (tendons) are shorter than usual, causing the foot to twist and making walking and wearing shoes difficult. Simwenda’s parents, with limited resources and no access to medical insurance, could only watch their son’s condition worsen for three years. It broke their hearts to see him suffer. The nearest hospital could not provide the treatment he needed. Simwenda’s parents shared their son’s story with their community, hoping for help and learned that services would be available at the Plaster House, a care center of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). However, Simwenda's parents encountered a significant obstacle in obtaining care: transportation costs. Their village is hundreds of miles from Arusha, where the medical care center is located. Simwenda’s family organized a fundraising event to raise money for the transportation and additional expenses of the journey. Upon Simwenda’s arrival at the center, he received a warm welcome. The medical team will begin clubfoot treatment on September 15. AMH is requesting $935 to fund Simwenda's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk with less struggle. Simwende’s mother says: “Despite our financial situations, we have tried so hard to get him treatment. I hope this time around our son has a chance to get treatment.”

$935raised
Fully funded

Zaw, who is 29 years old, lives with his wife and extended family members in Karen State, Burma. He and his wife are currently unemployed, although Zaw hopes to work as a second-hand motorbike seller. Zaw has had an irregular heartbeat since he was 10 years old. Although he visited a local clinic as a child, he was never provided a definitive diagnosis. By January 2022, he began to experience fatigue. His back and neck were stiff, and he lost his appetite. He also had difficulty sleeping, experienced a persistent cough and body aches, and his lips turned blue. After multiple hospital visits, Zaw was told he had a heart condition that required surgery. Unable to afford surgery in Burma, Zaw sought affordable care at Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) in Thailand. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, he received a free echocardiogram, which revealed he had mitral valve regurgitation, atrial valve regurgitation, pulmonary valve regurgitation, and patent ductus arteriosus. He is now scheduled for a procedure at Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital in Bangkok on April 18th to repair or replace three of his valves and address any other issues with his heart. Currently, Zaw continues to experience fatigue, thus he is unable to work. He experiences shortness of breath and a racing heartbeat, for which he requires oxygen therapy three times a day. He needs your help to raise the $1,500 to fund his life-changing surgery. Zaw said: “I want to be free from this disease as soon as possible. Thank you all for helping with my treatment cost.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded