Timothy Y HahnUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Timothy's Story

Timothy joined Watsi on December 3rd, 2014. Eight years ago, Timothy joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Timothy's most recent donation traveled 8,500 miles to support Evans, a recent graduate from Kenya, to fund fracture repair surgery.

Impact

Timothy has funded healthcare for 103 patients in 14 countries.

patients you have funded

Evans is a 22-year-old from Kenya who just completed his training as a plant operator with the National Youth Service. He will be looking for jobs as a plant operator but is currently unable to work and depends on his parents for support. His mother is a hairdresser, and his father is a casual laborer. Evans was in a bad accident in April and had to use his mother’s medical insurance, but their coverage is now exhausted. Evans shared that he has a large medical bill that they are struggling to raise money for, and he still needs to undergo two more procedures and is requesting financial support. On April 30th, Evans was involved in a road accident while traveling for a site-seeing visit that caused him to sustain hip and wrist fractures. The bus he and the other youth members from his church were in was involved in a head-on collision with an oncoming truck that was speeding. Evans has undergone multiple surgeries, including ex-fixator placement for a pelvic fracture, laparotomy surgery, and minor bowel repair surgery. His treatment journey is ongoing, with two more fracture repair surgeries scheduled. Currently, it is difficult for him to walk or use his left hand; he is bedridden and in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On May 16th, Evans will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk, sit, and restore grip on his hand. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Evans says, “I am lucky to be alive. It is a miracle considering the magnitude of the accident. I hope to walk again and be a productive citizen now that I have recently finished my training.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Paw, who is 50 years old, lives with her husband, two daughters, and four sons in an internally displaced people (IDP) camp in Karen State in Burma. They have no source of income and rely on the food support they receive from donors every month. In her free time, Paw enjoys weaving traditional Karen shirts and foraging for vegetables in the forest. In 2021, Paw started to experience pain in her lower abdomen and back. At first, she thought the pain would go away on its own; instead, it only intensified. Last year, she felt a mass in her lower abdomen, but she could not afford to seek treatment at a hospital. After Paw and her family fled to the IDP camp in December 2022, she went to the clinic in the camp, where she could access free, basic health care. Paw was referred to Mae Sariang Hospital for evaluation. At the hospital, she had an ultrasound and was diagnosed with bilateral ovarian tumors. The doctor told her that she needs surgery to remove her uterus and both of her ovaries. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Paw's surgery, which is scheduled to take place on April 23rd at Mae Sariang Hospital. After she has recovered from this procedure, Paw will no longer experience pain in her abdomen and back. "When the doctor told me I need to have the tumors removed, I felt happy that I will be free from this pain. I also feel very happy that your organization [BCMF] will help me pay for my treatment cost. I hope that I will recover soon, and that I will be able to work again. I want to say thank you so much to all the donors for their help. May they be blessed more and be prosperous,” said Paw.

$923raised
$577to go

Meet Nafissa. She is a 25-year old woman who shared that she tends to be very shy and reserved. She lives with her parents and her young child in an area of Burkina Faso where conflict is currently impacting their lives deeply. When she was a child, Nafissa developed a painful growth on the left side of her chin. This swelling in her lower jawbone affected her ability to eat, and was determined to be a benign tumor that needed to be removed. Her parents were able to secure the funds to send Nafissa to a hospital in Togo, where she could be treated at no cost to her family. The growth was removed, and for several years, Nafissa did well. However, the growth recurred, and in the middle of last year, Nafissa returned to Togo, where the second growth was excised. This time, however, the surgeon determined that her whole jawbone would also need to be removed. As the doctor in Togo did not have the necessary training to perform the surgery that Nafissa needed, he referred her to a physician with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Miraculously, Nafissa is now scheduled for a major jaw surgery with the leading team at AIC Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. As Nafissa's husband abandoned her because of her condition, and provides no support to Nafissa or their child, Nafissa and her parents are looking to you to help fund the $1,500 procedure, which will finally relieve Nafissa of the pain and symptoms that result from the tumor. Nafissa says: “It pains me that I have to stay at home with no friends. Making it worse, I cannot work to provide for my child.”

$941raised
$559to go

Miheretu is a sweet nine month old boy, who loves to play with his mother and other children. Miheretu's father works as a day laborer, while his mother stays at home to care for their children. Sadly, the family's income is insufficient to supply adequate food for the children, leaving Miheretu nutritionally deprived. Due to the concerns of his doctors, Miheretu underwent a colostomy for what was determined to be Hirschsprung's Disease. This is a condition that is present at birth, in which the baby's colon is missing necessary nerve cells. Without these cells, the muscles of Miheretu's gut cannot move contents through his colon, which can result in the contents backing up and causing a bowel blockage. After the colostomy, Miheretu's parents brought him back home, as they were unable to pay for the additional medical care that he needs. Thanks to the intervention of a local charitable organization, Miheretu was brought to BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre, where on January 5th, doctors from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, will perform a Hirschsprung Pull Through. During this procedure, doctors will remove the damaged section of Miheretu's colon, which will alleviate the bowel obstruction, and allow for normal colon function. Miheretu's parents cannot afford the $1,500 cost of the surgery, and are looking to you for help. Miheretu's mother says: “If my child gets the surgery and recovers, I will give thanks to God in front of all church members and tell my testimony. I will take care of him to the best of my capacity. I want him to get an education and to get married one day.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Khin is a 40-year-old woman who enjoys growing flowers and vegetables in her free time. She lives with her husband, son, and four daughters in Burma. She is a homemaker and takes care of her youngest daughter while her husband sells snacks in front of their home. Her son works in a teashop and her three oldest daughters currently attend primary school. Khin shares that she hopes to run a fruit shop to further support her family once she recovers. When Khin was 22 years old, she developed an ulcer on her right heel that made it difficult to put weight on her foot and walk. Fortunately, she received multiple skin grafts and the ulcer eventually healed. However, the ulcer returned in 2019, and despite receiving the same treatment as before, she was only able to walk with a limp after surgery. Last April, Khin began experiencing severe pain on her right heel once again. She eventually sought medical attention and was told by her doctor that she has cancer in her right lower leg. Her doctor advised that she have her leg amputated below her knee, but due to financial constraints, she could not proceed with the surgery and returned home. After three months, the pain continued to worsen and Khin visited our medical partner's care center, Mawlamyine Christian Leprosy Hospital (MCLH), to request painkillers. After examining her leg, the doctor at MCLH told her that she would have to have her lower right leg amputated to prevent the spread of the cancer. Just as before, Khin refused the amputation. The doctor then referred her to the oncology department of Mawlamyine General Hospital and recommended that she receive a biopsy to confirm her diagnosis and need for surgery. The biopsy revealed that she has skin cancer. Khin decided that she wanted to proceed with the amputation despite being unable to fund the cost. The doctor admitted her that same day and fortunately referred her to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), for financial assistance accessing treatment. On September 1st, surgeons at MCLH's care center will perform a leg amputation. Now, BCMF is requesting $1,500 to fund Khin's life-changing procedure. Khin shares, “I just came to MCLH for painkillers, and I did not know that the doctor would help me through donors. When I heard that I could have surgery with the help of donors, I felt so happy and my stress was relieved. My family also encouraged me to have the amputation so I can live a longer life with my children. I would like to say thank you to the donors for giving me a chance to live longer with my children.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded