Mac's Story

Mac joined Watsi on October 14th, 2020. Six years ago, Mac joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Mac's most recent donation supported Divyana, an eight-year-old boy from Ethiopia, to fund corrective surgery for a birth condition.

Impact

Mac has funded healthcare for 76 patients in 12 countries.

Patients funded by Mac

Divyana is a cheerful eight-year-old boy from Ethiopia. He loves playing football and spending time with his friends and younger brother. He lives in Sekota, and they travelled approximately 870 kilometers to seek treatment, a journey that took three days. His mother is a dedicated housewife, while his father works as an agricultural officer in a government institution. Together, his parents work hard to support their family and meet their children’s needs. Divyana's mother discovered his condition at birth and was immediately overwhelmed with frustration and panic. Questions raced through her mind, she says, “What is wrong with him? Is it my fault? How can I help my child?” Fear and stress consumed her, but her instinct to protect him never wavered. She began seeking information about his condition, choosing not to share too much with him to safeguard his emotional well-being. To prevent potential teasing or stigma, she instructed him to isolate himself whenever he went to the bathroom, warning him that other children might ridicule him if they saw him. She repeated this often, worried about how his condition might affect his social life and learning, especially since hypospadias is uncommon in their community. Divyana frequently compared himself to his younger brother and asked his mother why he was different. These moments left her feeling helpless, with no answers, only tears. One day, while visiting a relative in Addis Ababa who was undergoing orthopedic treatment, Divyana ’s mother heard about several successful cases being treated at the facility. Curious and hopeful, she began asking questions, but without revealing her son’s condition. Eventually, she received the contact information for the field patient coordinator at our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre. Doctors confirmed that Divyana was born with hypospadias, a condition that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of future complications. Fortunately, Divyana is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on November 20th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,293 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. Divyana's mother said, "I wish my child were very healthy, and I am thrilled to get this opportunity."

$1,293raised
Fully funded

Eliette is an eight-year-old student from Colombia. She is currently in elementary school, where she stands out for her curiosity, dedication, and cheerfulness. She dreams of becoming a doctor, a vocation that reflects her desire to help others and tenderly care for those in need. Five years ago, Eliette started experiencing worrying symptoms including pain and swelling in her lower abdomen area. Recently, the pain has increased especially when performing physical activities such as walking, running, or lifting objects. Eliette's mother brought her to our medical partner, Clinica Noel, where she was diagnosed with inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when a portion of the intestine or other abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the muscle wall of the groin. Although there is no obstruction, this condition causes Eliette a lot of pain. Fortunately, our medical partner can help. On September 25th, Eliette will undergo hernia repair surgery, alleviating her painful symptoms and allowing her to live a healthier life. Now, Eliette's family needs help to fund this $786 procedure. Eliette's mother says, "I am infinitely grateful to God, and to you, for making this operation possible, which represents hope for my daughter's development and well-being. She suffers from constant pain due to her hernia, which often prevents her from running, playing, and enjoying her childhood like any other child. Seeing her like this breaks my heart, and on more than one occasion I have had to take her to the emergency room because of the pain. May God bless your big heart and your family, and may He make His face shine upon you. May everything you do prosper, because your gesture has touched our lives in a way we will never forget. My family and I will be forever grateful."

$786raised
Fully funded

Zaw is a 13-year-old student from Burma. He lives in Karen State, Burma, with his grandparents, father, and brother. Zaw’s father used to work in Bangkok, Thailand, but returned to Burma in early 2025 to help look after Zaw. His mother works as a domestic worker in Bangkok and sends money to Zaw’s grandparents every month to cover their daily expenses and pay for basic health care. Zaw’s grandparents are retired and look after him and his brother. Zaw enjoys playing cane ball and football in his free time. Zaw 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 backward. Normal valve function is necessary to prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Currently, Zaw sometimes has a rapid heartbeat, and he experiences some fatigue when he plays and walks longer distances. He also needs to take medication regularly. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a heart valve replacement for Zaw. The treatment is scheduled to take place on July 11th and, once completed, will allow him to live more comfortably. Zaw's father said, “When I learned that he could get surgery in Bangkok, I felt hopeless because we don’t have money. Our family’s income is just enough to cover our family expenses. Thank you so much for your support for him and my family.” And Zaw shared, “I want to play football again once I have fully recovered, and I want to become an engineer when I grow up.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Nay is a two-year-old boy from Burma living with his parents in Tak Province, Thailand. When he was one year old, his family moved to Bago Division, Burma, to live with his grandparents. However, in October 2024, they returned to Mae Sot District after armed conflict between an ethnic group and the Burmese military destroyed their home. Since then, Nay’s mother has stayed home to care for him after he began experiencing health concerns. His father works as a day laborer at construction sites. Nay loves playing with his toys, spending time with his mother and aunt, and watching videos on his mother’s phone. In April 2024, Nay began crying frequently, and his mother noticed occasional swelling in his groin area. She brought him to a local clinic, where he was given pain medication and told that the swelling might require surgery, though a clear diagnosis was not provided. His symptoms continued, and he now experiences swelling and pain in his groin, vomiting after meals, and general fatigue. Fortunately, Nay was seen by the doctors at our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital. On April 11th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund his surgery. After treatment, Nay is expected to experience relief from pain and be able to play and grow in comfort. Nay’s mother shared, “As I am not working, my husband is the only breadwinner, and his work is irregular. I have been very stressed as we are facing financial difficulties, and I am worried about my son’s recovery process.” She also expressed her gratitude, adding, “Thank you to your organization and all donors for supporting my son’s treatment cost. May God bless you all."

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Isaack is a 41-year-old from Dedza District in Malawi. He lives with his wife and children, and enjoys a meal of rice and chicken. Four years ago, Isaack began to experience troubling symptoms, including a swelling on the right side of his neck, accompanied by night sweats and weight loss. At first, he thought the symptoms would go away, but noticed that the swelling was getting bigger by day. He decided to seek medical attention at a local hospital, and was referred to our medical partner care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center (PIH). By this time, Isaack was experiencing additional symptoms including pain when swallowing, and shortness of breath, especially while performing his daily activities. At PIH, Isaack was diagnosed with multinodular goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth and other bodily functions. He needs surgery to prevent his symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Isaack receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 6th, where surgeons will remove all or part of his thyroid gland. He and his family are able to contribute towards the cost of his treatment, but need help raising $1,015 more to fund the surgery Isaack said, "I hope to fully recover after surgery, just like others who have undergone the same procedure. I would like to resume in my farming work so I can continue to provide for my family."

$1,015raised
Fully funded

Sein is a 39-year-old man from Burma who lives with his parents in a refugee camp in Tak Province, Thailand. He and his parents fled from their village in Burma due to the ongoing fighting in the country. Like others in the camp, their family relies on donations from a relief agency. Sometimes his mother tries to go outside the camp to work as an agricultural day laborer to earn extra money to have enough food in the camp. In 2023, after carrying cement bags over his back, Sein started to experience back pain. The pain worsened, especially when he tried to lift heavy objects. A few months later, he could no longer walk. With help from another relief agency, Sein underwent an MRI scan and doctors diagnosed him with a herniated nucleus pulposus and explained to him that the spinal disc between two of his ribs was not in the right place. It was compressing the nerve’s root causing him back pain and making it difficult for him to walk properly. The doctor recommended he receive internal fixation surgery to fix the spine disc. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Sein will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for December 25th and will cost $1,500. This surgery will help Sein walk and work again so he can support his family. Sein said, “I feel very stressed since I cannot walk properly and have to depend on my parents who are now getting old. My mother sometimes has to work as a day laborer to find extra money to help buy more food as we do not have enough. I hope that I can walk and work again soon so that I can look after my parents and buy them enough food like I did before.” He added, “I would like to say thank you from the bottle of my heart to all the donors and BCMF for your support.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded