Tim's Story

Tim joined Watsi on March 5th, 2024. Eight months ago, Tim joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Tim's most recent donation supported Rosalinda, a student from Haiti, to fund treatment leading up to, and following heart surgery.

Impact

Tim has funded healthcare for 8 patients in 5 countries.

Patients funded by Tim

Benson is an 11-year-old boy from Kenya. His mother shared that she first noticed a problem with his foot when he was almost two years old. At the time, she hoped he would eventually outgrow it and begin walking better, but the condition persisted. Determined to find help for her son, she took Benson to hospital. Benson has Equinus deformity, a condition in which the upward bending motion of the ankle joint (dorsiflexion) is limited. This causes him to walk on his toes instead of placing his entire foot on the ground. The condition developed as a result of cerebral palsy, a condition he was born with. Over the last few years, Benson has attended physiotherapy sessions, surgery and has been fitted with corrective splints to realign his foot, but each time, the procedures did not achieve the expected results. His mother got increasingly worried about his health and future, until a friend informed her about specialized care at our medical partner's care center, AIC CURE Hospital. Benson is presently admitted at AIC CURE Hospital in preparation of his corrective surgery. The procedure represents a significant opportunity to improve his quality of life, as his condition has limited many of the activities and opportunities he would otherwise enjoy. He often experiences pain in his leg, especially during cold weather, making it difficult for him to walk comfortably. Benson's surgery has been scheduled for June 11th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 for the treatment that will provide Benson greater mobility, reduced pain, and the chance to pursue his dreams with renewed confidence and independence. He says: "I am looking forward to a quick healing so that I can continue with my regular life."

$1,286raised
Fully funded

Chu is a 44-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her sister and niece in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand. She left her home in Yangon Region, Burma, to escape violence after a military coup in 2021. Chu and her sister work at a church in Mae Sot, where they cook and clean for daily events and handle behind-the-scenes tasks for weddings, funerals, and parties. They rely on donations from the church and have no formal salary. The income she receives is enough to cover basic expenses for the family, including food and healthcare. In her free time, she loves to cook and bake desserts. After surgery, she wants to continue to make snacks and potentially start a business selling them on her own. Since 2023, Chu has been experiencing troubling symptoms, including right lower back pain and right lower abdomen pain. The pain worsens when Chu stands or sits for long periods of time. Her symptoms are exacerbated at work, but she continues her duties, taking oral painkillers to manage the pain. Doctors plan to perform a ureteroscopy, a procedure used to diagnose and treat kidney stones or ureteral blockages by passing a small, fiberoptic scope through the urethra and bladder into the ureter. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 for this procedure. The treatment is scheduled to take place on April 10th. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully alleviate her symptoms. Chu said, "I had nowhere else to look for money. After your organisation agreed to help me, I felt relieved. I have fled from my home and left my family to come here. However, I feel warm and supported by my church with basic needs. Thank you for helping me.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Hnin is a 65-year-old woman who lives with her two daughters and two granddaughters in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand. The family is originally from Bago Division in Burma. Hnin is retired, while one of her daughters works in a garment factory, and the other is a homemaker; her granddaughters are both students. The family income is not always enough to cover the cost of their daily expenses, so they sometimes need to borrow money from their neighbors, or the working daughter takes an advance on her paycheck from the factory where she works. The family lives with another couple that helps in paying rent, but they do not share any other resources. Due to Hnin’s health condition, they have had to borrow money for treatment and transportation costs. In 2010, Hnin was in a motorbike accident where she injured both knees. She went to a local clinic, but they did not perform an x-ray or examination, they only gave her medication for the pain. After the accident, Hnin’s knees would occasionally cause her pain, which she would treat with pain medication and traditional Burmese medicine. In January 2023, Hnin’s knee pain became worse, and her knees swelled, so she went to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) in Mae Sot where she was given pain medication, and referred to physiotherapy. However, the physiotherapy and follow-up appointments at MTC did not help much. The pain in her knees was worsening, so she stopped going but continued treating the pain with medication and traditional medicine. In January 2026, Hnin began having shaky legs when standing, and her knees were increasingly stiff, so she went to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) in Mae Sot on 2nd February 2026. There she underwent an x-ray and was told that she had osteoarthritis in her knees which has progressed to last stage, and only surgery would help. She was given medication, a cane, and a follow-up appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon. When she attended her appointment, she underwent another x-ray, and the doctor explained about her severe osteoarthritis and advised surgery. As she can only undergo surgery one knee at a time, the doctor advised her to have surgery on her right knee, since it was causing her the most pain. Presently, Hnin spends much of her time lying down or sitting and cannot help with most housework. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Hnin receive treatment. On March 12th, she will undergo surgery to relieve pain and improve her mobility. Now, Hnin's family needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. She says, "After treatment and recovery, I look forward to going to the monastery to meditate again, as I used to do this before my knees caused me so much trouble. Thank you for your support for my treatment”.

$1,500raised
Fully funded