Frank's Story

Frank joined Watsi on May 16th, 2014. Ten years ago, Frank joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Frank's most recent donation traveled 8,700 miles to support Stephano, a teenager from Tanzania, to fund surgical removal of a facial mass.

Impact

Frank has funded healthcare for 22 patients in 8 countries.

Patients funded by Frank

This is Isingoma, a five-year-old boy from Uganda, who has a twin brother named Kato. He also has six other brothers and a sister, but he mostly likes staying with his twin brother to play. During Watsi's interview, he repeatedly asked to go home and play with Kato. Isingoma is not in school yet, but he can count from one to ten. Meanwhile, his parents are casual laborers, who work in other people’s gardens for pay. They are struggling to pay for the education of their children even with the help of a friend who pays for their daughter's high school education. About eight months ago, Isingoma told his mother his scrotum became swollen. His mother checked his scrotal area and was concerned. She took him to a health center where a physician diagnosed him with an inguinal hernia. Isingoma was referred to Virika Hospital for further assistance from Watsi's medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. At Virika, it was confirmed that he has a hernia and a right hydrocele as well. He is not feeling any pain yet, but his mother is worried about the risk of a strangulated hernia and bowel obstruction. She is in anguish because she has another son who also requires a hernia repair (see Kiiza Daniel). For $249, surgeons at Vrika will reposition Isingoma's intestinal tissue to prevent bulging and reinforce his weakened abdominal muscles with mesh. To address the hydrocele, Isingoma will under a hydrocelectomy, and the fluid back-up from his right testis will be removed. Surgical intervention will prevent recurrence and further irritation. After surgery, Isingoma’s mother says, "I hope my children get well soon, so that I can have peace of mind and provide for them." Let's help this mother and her young sons!

$249raised
Fully funded

“Chit is extremely fatigued and feels heart palpitations on the left side of her chest,” explains our medical partner, Burma Border Projects. “She has a hard time taking care of her niece and parents because she is so weak and tired.” Chit, a 19-year old woman who lives with her family in Thailand, has a congenital heart condition called atrial septal defect (ASD). ASD refers to a hole in the wall separating the top two chambers (atria) of Chit’s heart, allowing oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to mix. The defect forces her heart and lungs to work harder to provide oxygenated blood to the body, causing fatigue and heart palpitations. Without treatment, the right side of Chit’s heart will grow larger and become weaker, and the blood pressure in her lungs will increase. Chit’s two older brothers work as day laborers near the Thai-Burma border, but the work is inconsistent, and all of the money that they earn is needed to buy food for the family. As a result, Chit, who had to stop working when she got sick, has no money to pay for the life-saving surgery that she needs. For $1500, Chit can receive cardiac catheterization to repair the ASD. In this surgical procedure, doctors use imaging to thread a catheter (a thin, flexible tube inserted into a blood vessel) from the groin to the hole in the heart. They position a mesh patch contained within the catheter to close the hole between the atria and then remove the catheter. Over time, heart tissue grows into and around the mesh to permanently close the hole. Funding for Chit's treatment also includes transportation and post-operative hospital care. “Chit hopes that after surgery she can return to normal life without being tired and in pain,” says Burma Border Projects. “She plans to work again and take care of her elderly parents.” Let’s help Chit achieve her goals!

$1,500raised
Fully funded