Ann Söderblom
Ann's Story

Ann joined Watsi on March 17th, 2014. 7 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Ann's most recent donation traveled 4,100 miles to support Aneti, a subsistance farmer from Uganda, to fund gynecological surgery.

Impact

Ann has funded healthcare for 33 patients in 9 countries.

Patients funded by Ann

“My husband and I have gone through hard times that have hindered our family's development," 38-year-old Kagezi says. Kagezi is a married mother of three from Kenya who gave birth three years ago by Caesarean section. "Seven months after the c-section, she developed a swelling in the incision. She visited a hospital where she was diagnosed with incisional hernia," explains our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). She had surgery once, "but within a few months the hernia came back in the same area." "Due to pain, she is unable to lift heavy items and to bend to either dig or do laundry," AMHF says. Kagezi went back to the hospital and was told she could not have surgery without buying a mesh, a woven sheet used to support organs during surgery. She can't afford to buy this or pay for her treatment. "She is a peasant, but when she stopped digging because of the pain, she opened a small tea room in the trading center where she works everyday and earns money for her personal needs as well as contribution towards the education of her children," AMHF says. AMHF continues, "Her husband is a peasant as well, but he does farming on a small scale because they sold part of their land in order to pay for Kagezi’s surgery and to pay for medical bills for their children when they suffered severe malaria." For $220, we can fund Kagezi's surgery to repair her hernia, relieving her pain and allowing her to resume digging and doing laundry on her own.

$220raised
Fully funded

Five-year-old Silas lives with his parents and six siblings in Tanzania. He likes to run and jump and play with his toy cars. “Silas’s legs started bowing outwards when he was two years old,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “Slowly but surely, his gait has been badly affected by the condition. He quickly gets tired and easily falls down when running.” Silas’s bowed legs—known as bilateral genu varum—are not painful, but the abnormal stress on his hips, knees, and ankles may lead to osteoarthritis of those joints. In addition, Silas will continue to be at risk for trips and falls. Treatment for Silas is a surgical procedure known as an osteotomy. Doctors remove a wedge of bone from each of his lower leg bones and attach a metal plate and screws to close the gap and straighten the leg. Silas will wear casts on his legs while they heal. Silas’s parents are small-scale farmers who grow maize and beans. Paying school fees for five of their children—in addition to providing for the family’s basic needs—has made it difficult for them to save enough money for the surgery that Silas needs. $940 pays for Silas' surgery as well as three days of hospital care, cast changes, physiotherapy, and a three-month-stay at The Plaster House for recovery and rehabilitation. After treatment, “Silas will have straight legs and the ability to walk properly,” says AMHF. Silas’s parents look forward to a successful operation for their son. “We pray that our son’s legs will be straight to allow him to walk like other children,” they share.

$940raised
Fully funded