Sergio Olaya
Sergio's Story

Sergio joined Watsi on November 24th, 2015. 16 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Sergio's most recent donation supported Scovia, a small-scale farmer from Uganda, to ensure a safe childbirth.

Impact

Sergio has funded healthcare for 8 patients in 5 countries.

Patients funded by Sergio

Five-year-old Travis lives in Kenya and is primarily cared for by his grandmother. His grandmother took over guardianship four years ago when Travis’s mother left the family. Travis’s father works long hours as a construction worker, and his earnings are supplemented with what Travis’s grandmother can provide as a subsistence farmer. “Travis is the son to one of my sons,” she says. “I try to offer the best I can.” Travis’s grandmother has many children and grandchildren, and knows what to watch for in developing children. That is why she was quick to catch Travis’s undescended testicle three years ago, and was very keen on getting treatment. An undescended testicle requires surgery to avoid risk of developing a painful hernia or testicular cancer. At such a young age, Travis’s doctor told his family he could not undergo treatment, and for the past three years he has been using painkillers daily to alleviate pain in his groin. Travis is finally old enough to have the surgery, however Travis’s family is unable to afford the treatment, despite their attempt to save. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, tells us that for $540, Travis can receive the single orchidopexy procedure he needs to stop regular use of painkillers and avoid serious complications. The total cost includes the procedure, supplies, and three days of inpatient care and meals. Travis and his grandmother are excited for this procedure, and look forward to the many pain-free years ahead.

$540raised
Fully funded

Domnick is a baby boy from Kenya who is less than a month old. He was born with spina bifida, a birth defect where the fetus’s backbone does not close completely around the spinal cord when the baby is in the womb. This has resulted in "a leaking mass swelling on the lower backbone area,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Because of his severe spina bifida, “Domnick is at a risk of infection, development of tethered cord that can lead to either scoliosis and/or kyphosis, and a loss of muscle function on his lower limbs,” AMHF adds. A tethered cord occurs when the spinal cord becomes fixed in place, causing it to stretch in potentially harmful ways as the child grows. “This caught us off guard completely, as we had not thought he will need treatment so soon after he was born,” Domnick’s mother shares. She and her husband have already lost two other young children to measles. Domnick’s father earns money for the family as a primary school teacher on a contract basis. However, he and his wife "spent all they had on maternity care when Domnick was born and are not able to pay for his much needed treatment,” AMHF says. For $805, we can ensure that Domnick gets the treatment he needs. This cost will cover the spina bifida closure surgery, as well as the subsequent hospital stay and physical therapy Domnick will need to recover from the procedure. “The surgery will help prevent risk of infections, developing tethered cord and paralysis on Domnick's legs,” AMHF adds.

$805raised
Fully funded