Jessica MartinUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Jessica's Story

Jessica joined Watsi on November 27th, 2014. Seven years ago, Jessica joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Jessica's most recent donation supported Khryzanelle, a mother from Philippines, to fund gallbladder removal surgery.

Impact

Jessica has funded healthcare for 94 patients in 13 countries.

Patients funded by Jessica

Kalar is a 53-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her mother and daughter in Htantabin Township, Yangon Division village. Kalar used to sell vegetables, but she stopped in October because her condition was worsening. Kalar's mother is a homemaker. Kalar's daughter left school three years ago because she couldn't afford the school fees. Currently, she is working in a restaurant. Their monthly income is not enough for their daily expenses, and they have to borrow money from their friends to make ends meet and pay for basic medical costs. In 2017, Kalar's upper abdomen was in pain, and she went to a hospital in the village. There, she received an ultrasound, and the doctor told her that she had a small stone in her gall bladder and she would need medication to reduce the stone. She felt much better after taking the medication, and she didn't go to any clinic or hospital after that. In October 2023, Kalar's symptoms returned, and she visited the hospital in the town where she received the ultrasound. At the hospital, the doctor confirmed that Kalar had a large gallstone and would require surgery to heal. She could not afford to pay for the surgery, so she received medication and returned home. Her condition gradually got worse. Kalar has not been eating or sleeping well and is in pain. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Kalar will be able to undergo gallbladder removal surgery on November 18th. BCMF requests $1,487 to cover Kalar's procedure and care costs. Kalar said, "I was upset because I couldn't work and support my mother and daughter. Now, I am so happy! I want to say thank you to all of the donors for supporting my surgery."

$1,487raised
Fully funded

Siek Meng is a 15-year-old who resides in the Prey Veng province of Cambodia with her parents and two younger brothers. Her parents make a living as rice farmers, and when Siek Meng returns home from school, she helps care for her siblings. During her free time, she enjoys learning English by watching English-language films and television shows. She aspires to pursue higher education in the capital of Phnom Penh and study medicine in the future. Around the age of 6, Siek Meng and her parents noticed something concerning about her back. However, they postponed seeking treatment until two years later due to the high cost of treatment and not considering it essential at that time. Unfortunately, the condition has since deteriorated, and she has been diagnosed with scoliosis, a deformity of the spine. In the past year, Siek Meng has experienced increased difficulty breathing as her rib cage presses on her lungs. Additionally, she occasionally feels numbness in her legs caused by her vertebrae compressing nerves. Thankfully, Siek Meng and her father undertook a challenging journey of two and a half hours to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), seeking assistance for her disability. The medical team at CSC plans to perform a spinal fusion with implants on August 2nd, which requires financial support as the operation costs $1500. This amount will cover radiology, medications, surgery, and post-operative physiotherapy care. CSC is requesting $1500 to help fund this procedure for Siek Meng. Siek Meng shared, "I am feeling embarrassed about my back and I want to not have chest pain anymore. I hope after surgery I can go back to school and be able to walk around my village more easily."

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Madelyn is a loving wife and grandmother from the Philippines. She currently lives with her husband and five-year-old grandchild. Ten years ago, Madelyn discovered a lump on her breasts. She had it examined by a healthcare professional and was informed that it appeared to be a fluid-like cyst with a chance to be resolved on its own. Unaware of the potential severity of her condition, she opted to discontinue follow-up checkups. As the years passed, she experienced intermittent, yet tolerable pain. This past March, the pain intensified significantly, accompanied by a palpable mass. These changes alarmed Madelyn to seek medical attention once again. She underwent a thorough assessment and diagnostic tests and was ultimately diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Madelyn receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a mastectomy on May 31st at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. A portion of the cost of her treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising $1058 to cover the remaining cost. After treatment, Madelyn will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. "We are just relying on my husband's income as a driver, which is barely enough to sustain our needs. On our own, we will not be able to afford my needed treatment", Madelyn shared. "I'll be eternally grateful to Watsi and World Surgical Foundation Philippines for helping me!"

$1,058raised
Fully funded

Obadiah is a 26-year-old man from Kenya. He is the youngest in his family of three children. His mother passed away seven years ago due to cancer. Obadiah lives with his father and works as a casual laborer to support his father, who is in his old age. However, since Obadiah’s injury, it has been painful for him to work, and they have had a relative come and stay with them. Obadiah needs surgery to heal and is requesting assistance with his medical costs. Obadiah fell and sustained a fracture to his arm last year. At the time, he went to a hospital, received a splint, and underwent a plate fixation procedure. He has continued to experience persistent pain for the last year and cannot use his hand. Obadiah recently received an X-ray, which revealed that the fracture has not united and one of the screws has moved out of place so that the plate is no longer holding the fracture correctly. To finally heal, Obadiah must undergo a three-part procedure to align his bone and return it to a normal position. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On April 25th, Obadiah will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. Upon recovery, Obadiah’s fracture will be healed, he will no longer be in pain, and he will be able to work. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure. Obadiah shared: “I feel so sad when I depend on people to provide everything for me. I am sadder when I remember that my father is alone without a helper. I am so hopeful that one-day things will get back to normal, and I will be able to work and earn something. Kindly help me so that my father may no longer suffer.”

$1,145raised
Fully funded