Dustin Williams
Dustin's Story

Dustin joined Watsi on September 4th, 2017. 51 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Dustin's most recent donation supported Claudy, a playful 11-month-old baby from Haiti, to fund brain surgery so he can develop into a strong, healthy boy.

Impact

Dustin has funded healthcare for 56 patients in 11 countries.

Patients funded by Dustin

34-year-old Beatrice lives with her husband and four children in Malawi. Beatrice uses the income from the saloon that she owns to take care of the needs of her children. Her husband, who is a businessman, uses his income to take care of their home, a three-bedroom house that has neither running water nor electricity. In 2020, some of Beatrice's friends noticed a swelling in her neck. Beatrice- who was pregnant at the time- went to the hospital to be evaluated. She was told that the swelling might be related to her pregnancy and that she should come back after giving birth if the swelling hadn't subsided. The swelling continued to grow; ultimately, Beatrice was diagnosed with a goiter- a swelling of the thyroid gland- and told that she would need to have her thyroid surgically removed. Beatrice's surgery continued to be postponed, but her symptoms of breathlessness and coughing- which often kept her from going to work- continued to worsen. Finally, her sister suggested that she visit Partners in Hope Medical Center, where doctors scheduled her for surgery on January 31st. As Beatrice is unable to cover the costs of her treatment, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $1,015 to fund Beatrice's thyroidectomy. Beatrice believes the removal of her thyroid will help her to return to her home in Blantyre, and to rejoin her family in good health. She believes her children are the reason why she lives, and she knows that she has to be healthy in order to continue supporting them. Beatrice said: “I am looking forward to getting back to normal.”

$1,015raised
Fully funded

Vanis is a 60 year old small-scale farmer. She and her husband - who passed away in 2021 - had eleven children, of whom nine are still alive. Vanis had to leave school because of a lack of the fees necessary to remain in school, and of her children, only her youngest has been able to be educated. Over 20 years ago, Vanis began to experience troubling symptoms, including a small neck swelling that later started progressing in size. She initially thought it was a temporary condition, and resorted to using herbs, which did not help to relieve her symptoms. After delivering her first five children, she underwent a thyroidectomy, and she felt better. However, her symptoms recurred after she gave birth to six more children, and this time, the swelling was larger than it had ever been. She finds that she is unable to carry loads on her head, and she will occasionally experience difficulty breathing. Vanis has been diagnosed with a non-toxic, multinodular goiter, and she needs surgery to resolve her condition. Her family cannot afford to pay for her treatment, but our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, has stepped up to help Vanis access the care that she needs. They are requesting $333 to fund Vanis' procedure, which is scheduled to take place on December 3rd, at Rushoroza Hospital, and which will ensure that Vanis' symptoms do not get worse over time. Vanis says: “I pray that I may be considered for treatment so that I may live a normal life once again. I will continue with farming as soon as possible.”

$333raised
Fully funded