Patrick White
Patrick's Story

Patrick joined Watsi on August 27th, 2014. 15 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Patrick's most recent donation traveled 8,600 miles to support Soe, a father from Thailand, to fund cardiac surgery.

Impact

Patrick has funded healthcare for 14 patients in 8 countries.

Patients funded by Patrick

Alejandra, a nine-month-old baby, lives with her parents and her older in a one-room adobe house in Guatemala. Her favorite thing to do is to play with her dolls. Her mother works at home, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of her and her siblings as well as helping Alejandra’s father cultivate corn in the nearby mountains. Although her parents work hard, they do not have the resources to feed her even one vegetable, piece of fruit, or egg—the minimum that she needs to reach a healthy height and weight. Alejandra’s parents are worried because they have noticed their daughter is not growing as well as the other children in their village, and almost never has an appetite. This is because she is malnourished, and her diet lacks the nutrients, calories, and protein she needs to grow and be healthy. If Alejandra does not receive treatment, she could face the consequences for the rest of her life—such as short stature as an adult, lower IQ, a harder time focusing, and trouble in school--all making it more likely that she will have lower-paying job as an adult and have children who face the same challenges. For $512, Watsi's medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, will provide Alejandra with growth monitoring, food supplements, and deworming medication which will help her grow, develop normally both mentally and physically, and overcome malnutrition. Her parents will receive nutrition education, so they can learn how to best feed Alejandra, even with the little resources they have. If she receives treatment now, she will be able to have normal mental and physical development, giving him a better chance to be a successful student and to one day be qualified for a well-paying job. "We hope that one day, she can have a university degree," says Alejandra's mother. With our help, this treatment will give Alejandra a better chance of escaping the cycle of malnutrition and poverty.

$512raised
Fully funded

Six-year-old Elias lives with his mother and younger sibling in their home in Tanzania, where he enjoys playing with his friends and with his wooden cars. “Elias’s right [leg] started bowing inwards when he was 18 months old,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. As a result, Elias experiences knee pain and difficulty walking. Elias’s condition—commonly known as knock knees—is typically part of the normal growth and development of the legs and resolves on its own by age seven or eight. However, in some children, underlying bone disease prevents straightening of one or both legs and contributes to strain of the involved knee joints. “Elias has not yet started school because he is unable to walk the long distance to the school,” AMHF continues. “If not treated, Elias will be at risk of developing osteoarthritis at an early age.” Treatment for Elias is a surgical procedure known as an osteotomy. Doctors will remove a wedge of bone from his upper leg and attach pins, a rod, or a metal plate and screws to close the gap and straighten the leg. Elias’s mother is a widow who sells vegetables and firewood to earn money to support herself and her two children, but her income is not sufficient to pay for the surgery that Elias needs. For $940, Elias will undergo surgery and also receive three pre- and post-surgical consultations, three days of hospital care, physiotherapy, medicine, and a three-month-stay at The Plaster House for recovery and rehabilitation. “I hope my son will be able to walk properly so that he can start going to school, and later on, have a good career and live a successful, independent life,” shares Elias’s mother.

$940raised
Fully funded

Five-month-old Abdulkerim loves playing and laughing in the home he shares with his parents and seven siblings in Ethiopia. “Abdulkerim was born with a birth defect called anorectal malformation,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. This defect is characterized by the absence of an anal opening and an inability to pass stool. “Abdulkerim developed a bowel obstruction because of this condition,” explains AMHF. “An emergency colostomy was [performed] when he was three days old.” During the colostomy procedure, doctors pulled an end of the colon through a cut in the abdominal wall and sutured it in place to create an opening for passing stool. To complete his treatment, baby Abdulkerim needs two additional operations. The first surgery is an anorectoplasty to create an anal opening, followed by a colostomy closure three months later. Abdulkerim’s father, a farmer, is the sole provider for the family. “I decided to sell the one cow I have because nothing is more important than my child,” he shares. “The [other] hospital [couldn’t] do the surgery because what I had was not enough. I was broke and worried.” $1,500 covers the costs of the final two surgical procedures and inpatient care, including labs, imaging, pain medicine, and antibiotics. “We expect that after an anorectoplasty followed by a colostomy closure, Abdulkerim will be able to pass stool on his own,” says AMHF. “Coming [to AMHF] and seeing the hope through this sponsorship program, I am now full of hope, praying for the opportunity,” says Abdulkerim’s father.

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Darline is a 15-year-old student living in Haiti with her older sister’s family. Her sister is her primary caregiver. Darlene likes to listen to music and cook, and enjoys writing and drawing at school. Darlene has not gone to school for the past two years due to heart disease. Darline was diagnosed with a condition called severe mitral regurgitation, the result of an illness she suffered earlier in childhood. Her mitral valve does not function properly, allowing the abnormal leaking of blood backwards from the left ventricle, through the mitral valve, into the left atrium. People with mitral regurgitation often have symptoms of congestive heart failure, such as shortness of breath, pulmonary edema, painful breathing, fatigue, and swelling of the legs. "If left untreated, the condition could be fatal," shares our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). Darline needs surgical intervention to repair or replace her mitral valve. However, this surgery is not safe to attempt in Haiti. HCA works to maintain a network of overseas referral hospitals in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere that are capable of accepting cases too complex to be attempted in-country. They organize not only the cost of the surgery, but also host family stay, airline fees, food, and travel insurance for the patient and parents for the duration of the medical care. Through HCA, $5,000 of the total cost has been subsidized by the Health City Cayman Islands, a medically advanced tertiary hospital located in Grand Cayman. HCA tells us that Charles’s family needs an additional $1,500 to complete payment for his surgery and stay abroad. Afterwards, Darline will have near-normal heart function with few to no cardiac symptoms. "I am a little bit afraid of having surgery but I know it will help me get better,” Darline shares. “I will be glad when it is over!"

$1,500raised
Fully funded