Samuel's Story

Samuel joined Watsi on September 19th, 2016. Ten years ago, Samuel joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Samuel's most recent donation supported Cloryn, a 43-year-old woman from the Philippines, to fund a thyroidectomy.

Impact

Samuel has funded healthcare for 122 patients in 16 countries.

Patients funded by Samuel

Pobit Dev is a 7-year-old boy from India. He hails from West Bengal and lives with his parents as an only child. His father works as a farmer, and his mother as a homemaker. Pobit is currently attending school in the 2nd grade. He enjoys eating and loves riding his bicycle. When he was five, Pobit Dev suffered burn injuries after falling on an open fire while playing with friends. He developed severe skin contractures affecting his right hand, left arm, elbow, forearm, and thumb, as well as his right cheek and presternal area. He is experiencing significant pain, and his daily life has been seriously impacted by the injuries. Despite two treatments in his home state, he was referred to Watsi's medical partner, G.S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital and Trauma Center, for more advanced care. The initial focus will be on treating his hand and forearm first. These contractures restrict his hand movements and prevent him from doing activities he enjoys, also affecting his education. Pobit Dev has travelled more than 12 hours with his family to seek treatment at our partner's care center. On August 11th, specialty surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery to address his most pressing pain and discomfort. The treatment will help him regain his mobility, allowing him once again to play with his friends, ride bicycles, and continue his education. He needs help raising $1,442 to fund his treatment and care. Pobit Dev's mother shared, "I am hopeful about his treatment, and I just want him to be okay."

$1,442raised
Fully funded

Chanthy is a 46-year-old wife and mother from Cambodia. Her husband works in construction, and together they have three children; the eldest is employed in Thailand, the second works as a waitress, and the youngest has a disability that prevents them from walking or speaking properly. In her free time, Chanthy enjoys growing vegetables around her home to help support the family. About seven years ago, Chanthy developed a small mass on the left side of her upper jaw. It initially appeared to be a small acne-like lesion but rapidly increased in size, eventually causing pain and difficulty breathing. She underwent surgery with the help of our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), to remove the mass, followed by a reconstructive surgery for her lower eyelid. Though these surgeries were successful, Chancy later developed tightness around her left eye, causing discomfort and vision problems. Fortunately, CSC will help Chanthy undergo a second reconstructive surgery on June 16th. Chanthy’s family has raised some of the funds, but needs help raising $847 to fully fund the surgery. Following surgery, Chanthy is expected to experience reduced tightness around the left eye, improved comfort, enhanced vision, and overall improved quality of life. Chanthy said, “I have been struggling with this condition for many years and have already undergone treatment before, but I still feel discomfort and difficulty with my eye. I hope this surgery will help reduce my tightness, improve my vision, and finally give me lasting relief.”

$847raised
Fully funded

Sebit is an 11-year-old student from South Sudan. His father is a fisherman, and his mother is currently unemployed. Living in a remote region of South Sudan, the family is located far from specialized medical care. In September 2021, Sebit fell from a tree while playing with his friends. He landed chin-first and injured his mouth, biting through his lower lip and bleeding heavily. At first, he did not seem to be in pain, but about a month later, both sides of his cheeks began to swell. From that point on, Sebit could no longer open his mouth well. Simple activities such as talking, laughing, and eating became extremely difficult. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with a jaw fracture and recommended surgery. However, due to the complexity of the procedure, the surgery could not be performed at local facilities. Sebit was given pain medication and sent home. For the past five years, Sebit has lived in this condition. He speaks in low tones, eats slowly in very small portions, and avoids sleeping on either side of his face because of the discomfort. The swelling in his cheeks comes and goes, often leaving him in pain and distress. Sebit slowly adapted to this painful new reality, uncertain whether his condition was improving or worsening with time. Hope finally arrived when a well-wisher learned about Sebit’s condition and referred the family to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital. This meant the family had to travel from South Sudan to Kenya for treatment, and the well-wisher helped cover the cost of their journey. After undergoing scans at our hospital, doctors discovered that Sebit’s jaws had fused and locked together, preventing him from opening his mouth. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On May 14th, Sebit will undergo a mandible reconstruction surgery to restore movement to his jaw and help him eat, speak, and live healthier again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,115 to fund this procedure. Sebit says, “Whenever I try to open my mouth, I feel pain. I have to eat very slowly and only in small portions.”

$1,115raised
Fully funded

Yonas is a quiet and shy 10-year-old from Ethiopia who loves playing football, making handmade crafts, and helping his mother around the house. Yonas lives with his parents and his youngest cousin. His mother is a teacher at a government school, and his father is a security guard at a bank, though he will be stopping work this month. Together, his parents work hard to support the family and meet their basic needs. Most of their income is spent on food, making it challenging to afford medical bills and medication. Yonas was born with hypospadias, a condition that causes urinary dysfunction. His mother was unable to find a health center to address his needs and was advised by relatives to leave the condition as it was. However, when Yonas was four years old, another relative noticed the condition and informed his mother that the symptoms were unusual. Distressed for her son and fearful of the stigma associated with this condition, she felt overwhelmed and hopeless. After moving to Addis Ababa, Yonas's mother took him to a hospital, where they were referred to a pediatric specialty hospital. The doctor reassured her that surgical intervention could correct the condition, which gave her hope; however, they were also informed that there was a waiting list for the surgery. Yonas's mother continued to worry whenever he fell ill, fearing it might be related to his condition. After waiting five months, she finally received a call from the referral hospital informing her that Yonas had been referred to our medical partner's hospital, BKMCM Hospital. Fortunately, Yonas will undergo corrective surgery on January 15th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,293 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of future complications. Yonas's mom said, "I wish my child could be as healthy as other children and safely complete his surgery. I long for the day when we can put this ordeal behind us."

$1,293raised
Fully funded