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Deanna LazzaroniUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER

United States
Deanna's Story

Deanna joined Watsi on May 10th, 2015. Eleven years ago, Deanna joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Deanna's most recent donation traveled 8,500 miles to support Tracy, a student from Kenya, to fund treatment to improve her hearing.

Impact

Deanna has funded healthcare for 126 patients in 14 countries.

Patients funded by Deanna

13-year-old Tracy's dream is to be an accountant. Her learning, however, has been marked by challenges beyond her control. She was born with hearing impairment and lived the initial years of her life unable to make out sounds. When she turned five, her mother got concerned and took her to the hospital for medical attention. The medical team recommended fitting of hearing aids, but unfortunately, Tracy's mother, who raises her on her own and earns a modest income working in a salon, could not afford the cost of the hearing aids. She turned to family, friends and well-wishers who helped raise enough funds, and at six years old, Tracy had hearing aids fitted. The treatment marked a turning point in her life. Tracy was able to return to school and, although she had fallen behind her peers, she began making remarkable progress. For the first time, Tracy could hear her mother calling her and respond appropriately. She could also hear her teachers instead of relying solely on lip-reading to follow lessons. More importantly, she gained the ability to interact, communicate and build friendships with other children, giving her a renewed sense of belonging and confidence. Over the years, doctors observed encouraging progress in her development and communication. In January this year, however, Tracy began experiencing complications with her hearing aids. They gradually stopped functioning properly and sometimes produced excessive noise, making it difficult for her to hear and communicate. This setback significantly affected her education, making her miss school and once again experience the isolation she had overcome. Earlier this month, her mother brought her back to AIC Kijabe Hospital for further assessment. Following an examination, the doctors established that her hearing aids had failed and that she urgently required a new pair. Unfortunately, her mother remains unable to meet the cost due to her limited financial resources. Presently, Tracy is struggling to keep up with her peers academically and socially. The loss of her hearing aids has once again placed barriers between her and the world she had begun to experience so fully. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Tracy receive treatment. On October 30th, Tracy is scheduled to have new hearing aids fitted, so she could regain her ability to hear, learn, communicate and interact confidently with those around her. Now, Tracy's family needs help to fund this $1,171 procedure. Tracy says: "Since my hearing aids stopped working, I have been unable to attend school, which has made me fall behind my peers."

$275raised
$896to go

Moe is a 15-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents, sister, and two brothers. His father works as a day labourer, while his mother is a homemaker who sometimes takes on laundry jobs to help support the family. Moe completed grade three but had to stop his education in 2024 because of his health. He was diagnosed with a heart condition that requires valve replacement. Heart valves control the flow of blood between chambers, but certain conditions may narrow the heart valve or cause the blood to flow backwards. Normal valve function is necessary to prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Currently, Moe experiences fatigue, loss of appetite, dizziness, and sometimes feels uncomfortable while sleeping at night due to squeezing and radiating pain around his chest and back. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a heart valve replacement for Moe. The treatment is scheduled to take place on July 17th at our medical partner's care center, Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital, and once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Moe's mother shared, "Thank you to the donors and the organisation for supporting my son’s surgery. We are very grateful. As day labourers, we do not have enough money. I am not healthy enough, and while doing laundry to earn extra income, I feel exhausted. Without your support, we would face unbearable financial burdens and could not afford the surgery. Thank you very much for your help.”

$975raised
$525to go

Beatrice is 46 years old and lives in Malawi. She is a single mother of two children and a grandmother to one. She earns a living through small-scale farming, growing vegetables and maize when the season allows. What she harvests is what sustains her home. For the past year, Beatrice has been struggling with her health. She has endured prolonged and heavy bleeding, often leaving her weak and exhausted. Alongside this, she began to feel a lump in the lower left side of her abdomen. At first, she tried to brave through the discomfort, but in February 2026, the pain became intense and impossible to ignore. An ultrasound scan revealed multiple uterine masses as well as an inguinal mass. Presently, the ongoing bleeding has also left her anaemic. Beatrice was started on treatment at our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital, to stabilize her condition. After a month of care, her hemoglobin has improved from 8 to 10, giving her strength in preparation for surgery. Doctors have now advised that she urgently needs a total abdominal hysterectomy to address the problem. Beatrice's surgery has been scheduled for May 7th. For her, this is the hope she has been holding on to, a chance to live without constant pain and weakness. But the surgery cost of $651 stands in her way. With no stable income beyond her small harvests and no close family to turn to for financial help, she has not been able to raise any funds for the procedure. Beatrice's hope is for a chance to undergo the surgery and return to a life where she can care for her children and grandchild, without the burden of illness. She said, “I have been weak for a long time, and it has not been easy to look after my family like this. I want to be strong again and live without this pain. I am hoping that I will receive support and get this surgery.”

$651raised
Fully funded