United States   •   February 18th
Jaewon's Story

Jaewon joined Watsi on September 8th, 2014. Twelve years ago, Jaewon joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Jaewon's most recent donation traveled 1,900 miles to support Emmah, a toddler from Haiti, to fund treatment leading up to, and following heart surgery.

Impact

Jaewon has funded healthcare for 143 patients in 16 countries.

Patients funded by Jaewon

Ester is a 13-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her parents, her younger brother, and two younger sisters in a village in Karen State, Burma. Ester and her three younger siblings go to school while their parents are small-scale farmers. They also raise chickens and pigs, and they forage for vegetables in the forest for their own consumption. They also have a small garden where they grow betel nut trees, and they sell some of the betel nuts to earn a small income. Sometimes, Ester’s father also finds work as an agricultural day laborer. In her free time, Ester loves to help her mother with household chores and also play with her friends at school. She wants to become a teacher when she grows up. Ester was born with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a condition in which a hole exists between the two upper chambers of the heart. Sometimes ASDs may close on their own during development, but sometimes this condition requires surgery to repair the hole and prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Ester is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on July 7th to correct her condition and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help cover the cost of Ester's procedure and care. Ester's mother shared, "I would like to thank BCMF and your donors for your kindness and willingness to support my daughter. Without you, my daughter would not receive treatment as the cost is too high for us, and we cannot borrow such a large amount of money from our neighbours. On behalf of our family and our daughter, thank you to your donors and everyone willing to help my daughter.”

$972raised
$528to go

Mu is a 75-year-old retired woman from Burma. She lives with her family in a refugee camp in Tak Province, Thailand, with her son, daughter-in-law, three grandsons and two granddaughters. They moved to the refugee camp in April 2023 from their home in Bango Division, Burma, in order to escape the fighting and airstrikes in their village. Mu’s son, two older grandsons and older granddaughter work as agricultural day laborers in the camp. Her younger grandson and granddaughter are students in the camp. Mu is experiencing severe lower right back pain, nausea, and cannot eat. Her urine is cloudy, and she cannot stand or even sit up fully due to her pain. Her family is worried about the financial burden of treatment and their lack of access to care. Mu was diagnosed with kidney stones and physicians at our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital, determined that Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) could resolve her symptoms. ESWL is a procedure that can break up the stones in the urinary system and the fragments will exit in the urine. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. The treatment is scheduled to take place on February 6th and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Mu's son expressed, “I see her in pain, but I cannot find the money to get her treatment.” Mu’s daughter-in-law said, “We are sad for her but happy that she will receive support. Thank you for helping her and finding a way for her to receive treatment. She has suffered for a long time.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Hlaing is a 43-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his mother and two nephews in Tak Province, Thailand. Originally from Kachin State, Burma, his family fled to Thailand due to the civil war in Burma. Hlaing is unemployed and attends a Thai language school. His mother manages household chores, while his nephews are high school students at a migrant school. The family’s only income comes from Hlaing’s sister, who lives elsewhere and works as a shop vendor, sending them money monthly. This amount is just enough to cover the family's daily expenses. On October 10, 2025, Hlaing had an accident while going to the market. A CT scan of his head revealed a minimal subdural hematoma and multiple facial bone fractures. He needs surgery to facilitate the healing of his facial bone fractures, including the right cheekbone and chin. Currently, Hlaing’s superficial abrasion wounds have healed well, and he can eat and sleep. However, due to the head injury and multiple facial fractures, he experiences pain and difficulty chewing solid foods. These challenges have left him feeling guilty and burdened by his family’s situation. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Hlaing will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for November 7th and will cost $1,500. This procedure will help Hlaing be free from pain while eating and be able to eat properly again. Hlaing shared softly, “After fully recovering, I will find a job and save money to support my mother and my nephews.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded