Kay's Story

Kay joined Watsi on March 12th, 2013. Nine years ago, Kay joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Kay's most recent donation traveled 9,000 miles to support Esther, a 48-year-old mother from Malawi, to fund hysterectomy surgery.

Impact

Kay has funded healthcare for 120 patients in 11 countries.

Patients funded by Kay

Cherrylyn is a mother of three from the Philippines. Cherrylyn resides in Binan, Laguna. Her husband works as a helper and earns $16 per week, which is insufficient to meet their daily needs. Her children are all old enough to work now, however, their educational attainment makes it hard for them to find a permanent job. Cherrylyn enjoys doing laundry and engaging in water-related activities when she was stronger. Lately, she enjoys joining the free Zumba classes offered by the barangay. However, she eventually has had to stop because of her condition. Seven years ago, Cherrylyn began to experience troubling symptoms, including back, flank, and abdominal pain, which affected her daily activities. She typically takes various pain relievers to alleviate the pain. Sometimes, she endures the pain or her spouse will try to give her massages to ease her discomfort. Cherrylyn has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, her symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Cherrylyn is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on January 13th. The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is supporting a portion of the cost of the procedure, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,128 to cover the cost of Cherrylyn's surgery and care. Cherrylyn says, "I am very grateful to everyone for your generosity. We will only be able to afford this operation with you. I trust that the Lord will return this blessing you gave me."

$671raised
$457to go

Keisha is a 5-month-old baby from Haiti, where she lives with parents and her older sister. Keisha is just starting to smile. Keisha has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid –the fluid which surrounds the brain– accumulates in the brain, increasing intracranial pressure. The accumulation of fluid has caused Keisha's head to expand beyond a normal range. In addition, Keisha has been experiencing another symptom--her eyes are focused downward (sometimes called “sunsetting of the eyes”). Keisha was brought to the hospital recently, needing emergency treatment for the pressure in her head. The neurosurgeon was able to temporarily relieve the pressure by removing some fluid from Keisha's head. But Keisha needs further treatment or else she will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Keisha is scheduled for surgery to put a flexible plastic tube called a shunt in her brain to redirect the cerebrospinal fluid into another part of her body. The shunt typically isn’t ever removed, and regular checkups are important to make sure it’s working. Draining the excess fluid from Keisha's brain will reduce the pressure and greatly improve the quality of her life. With proper treatment, Keisha will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the cost of surgery for Keisha at Hospital Bernard Mevs. This is the only site in Haiti where this care is currently available, and the procedure is scheduled to take place on October 19th. Keisha's family is hoping that the surgery will be a success and she can have a healthier future.

$957raised
Fully funded

Imani is a 4-year-old boy from Tanzania. His family resides in Karatu, a small district located in the Arusha region. He is the second born among three children. His mother, a farmer, takes care of him and his siblings with the invaluable assistance of his grandfather. He has recently started school and enjoys spending time with his new friends there. His fmaily hopes that he can continue with school and do well there as he grows. One of his favorite activities is his art class, where he already likes to draw and paint. Imani was diagnosed with genu varus, also known as bow legs. This condition may present from infancy through adulthood and has a wide variety of causes including excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. It causes lateral knee thrusting and a waddling gait. It can also impact his hips and ankles as the condition continues to worsen. As a result, he cannot walk and play like his friends and other students. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), was able to create a treatment plan for Imani. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 1st. Treatment will hopefully restore Imani's mobility, allowing him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. AMH is requesting $880 to help fund corrective surgery for Imani. Imani’s mother says: “I wish for my son to be able to walk and play without falling repeatedly. I have high hopes that this treatment will significantly improve his life and bring about positive changes for him.”

$880raised
Fully funded

10 year old Dennis is the third child in a family of four children, all of whom study at a local primary school. Dennis' father - who is from Uganda - and his mother - who is from Kenya - separated several years ago. Now Dennis and his siblings live with their mother in Marakwet West, Kenya, where Dennis' mother is a casual laborer, working on local farms. On weekends and holidays, Dennis and his siblings assist their mother in her work, so as to earn additional money for the family. While helping a neighbor cut animal feed into small pieces, Dennis' hand was injured by a chaff cutter. When Dennis was brought to the hospital, it was determined that several of the fingers on his right hand had been damaged. Two of the fingers had to be amputated right away, while the third finger subsequently developed gangrene, and also needed to be amputated. While Dennis has recovered from his injuries, the wound on his hand has never healed completely. The surgeon advised the family that Dennis requires skin grafting, in order to replace the skin that he lost when his hand was injured, and to ensure the total healing of the wound. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is here to help. They are requesting $1,089 to fund Dennis' skin grafting procedure, which is scheduled for May 19th, at AIC Kapsowar Hospital. This procedure will enable Dennis to fully recover, so that he can return to school, and resume the life of a 10 year old boy. Dennis's mother said: "It is so sad that my son has lost his fingers, but I am grateful to God that he is still alive. I am looking forward to seeing him get well so that he may continue with his education and become successful in life. Kindly help him so that he may recover well."

$1,089raised
Fully funded