J
jean-christophe ZulianUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER

Switzerland
jean-christophe's Story

jean-christophe joined Watsi on March 14th, 2015. Eleven years ago, jean-christophe joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. jean-christophe's most recent donation traveled 5,900 miles to support Pang, an 85-year-old man from Cambodia, to fund fracture repair surgery.

Impact

jean-christophe has funded healthcare for 149 patients in 14 countries.

Patients funded by jean-christophe

Ree is an 18-year-old young woman from Burma. She lives in Mae Ramat District, Tak Province, Thailand, with her mother, father, younger brother, husband, and son. She is a homemaker and looks after her one-year-old son. Her younger brother is a student. Her mother, father, and husband are subsistence farmers. When work is slow at the farm, they also work as day labourers. On 28th February 2026, Ree, her husband, and her son were driving back home from the market in the evening on a motorbike. Suddenly, they were hit from behind by a drunk driver, and all three of them fell from the bike onto the left side of the road. Nah suffered road rash on her face and leg, and realized that she could not stand up. Her son’s head was bruised and swollen, and on the left side of her husband’s body, there was also heavy bruising. An ambulance arrived on scene and took Nah to a nearby hospital. The doctor explained that her left ankle was fractured, requiring surgery. She was referred to our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Ree will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for March 7th and Ree needs to raise $1,500 to fund her procedure and care. This procedure will help Ree be able to walk and go back home to take care of her son, and she will no longer be in pain after treatment. Ree said, “I don’t even know what to say, but I feel sad. I have no idea where to look for funding for my treatment. I cannot walk and have to depend on my father for everything, and I miss my son at home.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Simon is a 69-year-old jovial man from Western Kenya, but currently living in the central region of Kenya. Simon and his wife are separated, and he takes care of their only child, a daughter who is now 17 years old and recently completed secondary school. Simon earns a small income through casual work such as cleaning and weeding flower gardens at a neighbor’s home, which helps him support himself and his daughter. He says that his parents died when he was very young, and as a result, he never received a formal education. Three months ago, Simon began experiencing pain and intermittent swelling on the right side of his inguinal region. Due to lack of finances, he was unable to seek medical care until the pain became unbearable, prompting him to visit the outpatient surgical clinic at Nazareth Hospital. He was referred to undergo an ultrasound that revealed an inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue bulges through a weak spot in the lower abdominal wall into the groin. Simon needs surgery to treat the condition, but he's unable to raise the required funds. If left untreated, he will continue to experience pain and may develop complications such as strangulation. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Simon receive treatment. On January 20th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Now, Simon needs help to fund this $517 procedure. "I have no one to turn to; my daughter fully depends on me. I hope to get help so that I can undergo this surgery. I am looking forward to being treated and back to my job, so that I can help my girl, maybe even take her to college," said Simon.

$517raised
Fully funded

Hnin is a 65-year-old woman who lives with her two daughters and two granddaughters in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand. The family is originally from Bago Division in Burma. Hnin is retired, while one of her daughters works in a garment factory, and the other is a homemaker; her granddaughters are both students. The family income is not always enough to cover the cost of their daily expenses, so they sometimes need to borrow money from their neighbors, or the working daughter takes an advance on her paycheck from the factory where she works. The family lives with another couple that helps in paying rent, but they do not share any other resources. Due to Hnin’s health condition, they have had to borrow money for treatment and transportation costs. In 2010, Hnin was in a motorbike accident where she injured both knees. She went to a local clinic, but they did not perform an x-ray or examination, they only gave her medication for the pain. After the accident, Hnin’s knees would occasionally cause her pain, which she would treat with pain medication and traditional Burmese medicine. In January 2023, Hnin’s knee pain became worse, and her knees swelled, so she went to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) in Mae Sot where she was given pain medication, and referred to physiotherapy. However, the physiotherapy and follow-up appointments at MTC did not help much. The pain in her knees was worsening, so she stopped going but continued treating the pain with medication and traditional medicine. In January 2026, Hnin began having shaky legs when standing, and her knees were increasingly stiff, so she went to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) in Mae Sot on 2nd February 2026. There she underwent an x-ray and was told that she had osteoarthritis in her knees which has progressed to last stage, and only surgery would help. She was given medication, a cane, and a follow-up appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon. When she attended her appointment, she underwent another x-ray, and the doctor explained about her severe osteoarthritis and advised surgery. As she can only undergo surgery one knee at a time, the doctor advised her to have surgery on her right knee, since it was causing her the most pain. Presently, Hnin spends much of her time lying down or sitting and cannot help with most housework. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Hnin receive treatment. On March 12th, she will undergo surgery to relieve pain and improve her mobility. Now, Hnin's family needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. She says, "After treatment and recovery, I look forward to going to the monastery to meditate again, as I used to do this before my knees caused me so much trouble. Thank you for your support for my treatment”.

$1,500raised
Fully funded