Nicholas Rempel
Nicholas' Story

Nicholas joined Watsi on March 9th, 2015. 9 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Nicholas' most recent donation traveled 2,900 miles to support Dulce, a 16-month-old girl from Guatemala, to treat acute malnutrition.

Impact

Nicholas has funded healthcare for 10 patients in 6 countries.

Patients funded by Nicholas

"In the future, we want to return to Burma and open a shop where we will sell dried food," says Cho Mar, a 44-year-old farmer who moved to Thailand with her husband in order to find better work opportunities. "Four years ago, Cho Mar started experiencing heavy bleeding," reports our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). This was also accompanied by abdominal pains, but after a few months her symptoms subsided so she did not seek any treatment. This past September, however, the same symptoms came back and she also felt a mass in her abdomen. When Cho Mar came to the clinic for an ultrasound, she was diagnosed with a uterine myoma - a non-cancerous growth of fibroids in the uterus caused by abnormal development of muscle cells. If left untreated, these uterine fibroids will continue to grow and cause her severe pain and blood loss. Financing Cho Mar's medical treatment has been very difficult. Cho Mar and her husband do not have ID documentation, so transportation to reach medical treatment has been very expensive. Drivers often over-charge them, and there are several police/immigration checkpoints along the way where they must pay additional fees. Even though Cho Mar's husband works seven days a week on the farm, Cho Mar has been unable to work the past seven months due to her condition. BBP explains, "They have to use their money wisely, because it's just enough to cover their daily expenses. They cannot save or pay for unexpected costs." With $1500, Cho Mar will have a hysterectomy where doctors will surgically remove her uterus and prevent the uterine fibroids from redeveloping in the future. After her surgery, Cho Mar will no longer have pain and discomfort so she can return to work on the farm with her husband. Cho Mar is eager to return home healthy so she can continue working towards her goals. "My dream is to go back to work so that we can start to save money," Cho Mar shares with us.

$1,500raised
Fully funded

“Zaw is a playful 19-month-old baby who suffers from a neurological condition called encephalocele,” our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us. Zaw lives with his parents, sister, and grandmother in Burma. An encephalocele is a sac of brain tissue that protrudes through a structural gap in the front or back of the skull. They are very rare, occurring in one in 5,000 births. Protrusions in the front of the skull—as is the case with little Zaw—are more common in Southeast Asia than those at the back and may cause difficulty seeing, breathing, or eating. Infection of the encephalocele due to injury or rupture is a major concern and can be life-threatening. BBP continues, “Since Zaw was born, the mass has now grown. It covers the bridge of his nose, the top of his left cheek, and his left eye. If something accidently touches the mass on his face, then he cries loudly, but otherwise he is a playful, happy little boy.” Zaw’s father works as a day laborer in construction, and his mother stays at home to take care of Zaw and his sister. They have been very worried about their son’s condition. $1,500 will fund surgery to remove Zaw's encephalocele, repair the hole in his skull with a bone graft, and reconstruct his face. Funding also covers eight days of hospital care, transportation to and from the hospital, and three post-operative follow-up appointments. BBP says, “Encephalocele repair will improve Zaw's future. He will no longer have disfiguration and will also be able to see and breathe better.” Let’s help fund surgery for Zaw!

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Meet Dennis, a young 15-year-old boy who lives with his three siblings at their family friend's home in Kenya. His mother works as a house help in the Middle East, and according to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), “Dennis' biggest dream is to have his mother back in Kenya and for him to provide for her every need." “Dennis has a swelling on the right inguinal region,” explains AMHF. “He is experiencing pressure and intense pain around the area.” An inguinal hernia is when the soft tissue from the abdomen (such as fat or part of the intestine) protrudes through a weak part of the abdominal wall in the groin region. “If Dennis is not treated, there is risk of associated life threatening complications such as obstruction, strangulation of the intestines and cutting off blood supply to body tissues,” continues AMHF. "Dennis' mother managed to send [him] some money for his treatment," says AMHF, "but she could not raise the funds required for Dennis' surgical care." Dennis continues to explain, "My mother has struggled to get the money she sent for me to get treated and this is the most she could raise." $430 in funding will pay for Dennis' operation to fix the defect in his abdominal wall that was caused by the protrusion. While Dennis is under general anaesthesia, doctors will make an incision in the area where his hernia is located in order to bring the edges of the defect together and lay a patch of mesh on the repaired section to further strengthen the closure. After this procedure, Dennis will no longer be in pain and will be able to concentrate in school and work towards his dreams. "I am disturbed knowing that my mother works as a house help in the Middle East," says Dennis. "My biggest dream and hope is to help her someday when I am through with school."

$430raised
Fully funded

Meet Korduni, a four-year-old boy living in Tanzania. Korduni is a quiet boy who likes to sit aside and watch the other children play. Ever since he was involved in a fire accident while playing with his friends, "Korduni has been afraid of playing because he thinks that the same thing will happen again," explains our partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. Korduni’s parents keep livestock and every now and then they would collect all the dry cow dung in a pile and burn it, leaving a layer of white ash on the ground. While playing, one of his friends pushed him, causing Korduni's right foot to get burned. He developed severe burn scar contracture of the toes and because of this, his toes are pulling upward. This affects the way he walks and makes it difficult for Korduni to wear shoes. If not treated, Korduni’s gait cannot improve and as he grows older, he will experience increased pain on his foot. Korduni is a part of a polygamous family, which means that his parents are responsible of taking care of many people. Their small income is not enough to cover their daily expenses and the cost of Korduni's operation. His father states, "It was very unfortunate that our boy had a fire accident. If there is anything that can be done to restore the position of our son’s toes we’ll be very happy to see him able to wear shoes and walk the way he used to." For $550, Korduni will receive a single contracture release surgery which will allow him to wear shoes and help improve his gait. Let's help Korduni so he can play with his friends again and enjoy his childhood!

$550raised
Fully funded