United States
Eli's Story

Eli joined Watsi on June 30th, 2016. Ten years ago, Eli joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Eli's most recent donation traveled 8,300 miles to support Htee, an expectant mother from Burma, to fund a C-section to safely deliver her baby.

Impact

Eli has funded healthcare for 128 patients in 14 countries.

Patients funded by Eli

Hser is a 43-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her two daughters and her husband in a refugee camp in Umphang District, Tak Province, Thailand. Her family is originally from Karen State, Burma, but fled to the camp due to the fighting in their homeland. In the camp, her older daughter is a teacher while her younger daughter is a student. Her husband sometimes works as agriculture day laborer outside of the camp, while she is a homemaker. In October 2025, Hser started to notice a mass on her left breast. The mass was very small, so she thought it might go away by itself. But a few weeks later, the mass was still there, prompting her to go to the clinic in the camp. She was referred to a bigger hospital, where doctors informed her she may have cancer and would need surgery to prevent the cancer from spreading. However, she did not have the financial resources to undergo surgery. In August 2026, the mass started to grow bigger and cause her pain. She visited our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital, where doctors informed her she needs to undergo a mastectomy, surgery to remove her breast. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, can help. On September 1st, Hser will undergo surgery, and she needs help raising $1,500 to help cover the cost of her procedure and care. Hser said, "When I learned that I have cancer, I started to worry - and even though I receive surgery, will I recover from it? When it started to be painful, I thought I would need surgery so that it wouldn't be painful anymore. When I heard from my daughter that there is an organization that could support me with surgery costs, I feel a bit better. If not for the support from donors, I would give up on surgery and choose to suffer, as I know my family could not afford it."

$1,018raised
$482to go

Ruth is 36 years old and a single mother of three from Malawi. She also has one grandchild from her firstborn. Ruth has experienced multiple family losses. Both of her parents and her two siblings are deceased. The only surviving relative is her uncle, who is physically disabled and fully dependent on her for care and support. She earns a living by selling tomatoes. In 2003, Ruth began to experience troubling symptoms, including a small swelling on the right side of her neck. Over time, the swelling grew bigger and began to affect her health. She developed symptoms including loss of voice, neck pain, headaches, and frequent coughing. After 15 years, she finally sought medical attention and was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Ruth receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on May 2nd at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,015, and she and her family need help raising money. Ruth shared, "My only hope is you; I tried all that I could, but failed. I am looking forward to your support."

$1,015raised
Fully funded

Kaung is a six-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his mother, older sister, and younger brother in Phop Prah District, Tak Province, Thailand. In January 2025, they left their home in Bago Division, Burma, to escape the violence around their village due to the civil war and in search of better job opportunities. Since the family moved to Thailand, Kaung’s mother has been unable to register Kaung for school. However, in May 2026, he will resume his education in grade 1. Kaung’s older sister is a homemaker, and his younger brother is too young to go to school. Kaung’s mother is an agricultural day labourer, but work is not always available. Kaung and his family live in a raised bamboo house and need to climb up a ladder at the entrance to enter their home. On the 20th of March 2026, Kaung was at the top of the ladder, taking in laundry that was drying outside, when he fell backwards onto the stones on the ground below. He fell on his right side and reached his arm out during the fall. He began to cry, and his mother found him on the ground in severe pain, with massive swelling around his elbow. She called their neighbours who could speak Thai, and together they brought Kaung to a local clinic. He was referred to a bigger hospital, where an X-ray revealed he had fractured his elbow and needed surgery. Kaung is in constant pain, affecting his sleep and ability to perform daily tasks, such as eating and dressing himself. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Kaung will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for April 3rd and will cost $1,500. This procedure will help Kaung to grab things and eat properly again. He will no longer be in pain after surgery. Kaung's mother said, “When the hospital talked about money, my son started to cry, because he knew that I could not afford his treatment. He is a good boy for the family and understands our situation. He told me that he did not want to receive treatment so we wouldn’t have to borrow money.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Amanuel is a cheerful nine-year-old boy from Ethiopia, who loves caring for animals. He also likes riding his bicycle and playing with other children, especially his younger sister. Amanuel lives with his parents and his youngest sister and is the third child in the family. His older brother and sister live with the family's relatives. Amanuel’s father works as a daily laborer in construction, while his mother is a home maker. Although his father tries to support the family, they sometimes struggle to meet medical expenses. To help with household needs, Amanuel’s mother occasionally bakes injera, a traditional bread, for sale. Amanuel’s mother was unaware of his condition until he was three years old. During a visit to a health center, the doctor noticed that Amanuel’s right testicle had not descended. He explained the condition to Amanuel’s mother, and advised waiting to see if the testicle would descend naturally. If it did not, a hospital referral would be necessary. At the time, Amanuel’s mother was overwhelmed, as she had just given birth to her youngest daughter, and felt anxious about the situation. As a result, she did not take him to the hospital. Over the next five years, she worried about her son’s condition, hoping for the right opportunity to seek help. Eventually, she returned to the health center, and after further consultations, they were referred to a larger hospital. After a six-month wait, Amanuel’s mother received a call from the referral hospital informing her that they needed to go to our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre (BKMCM) for further evaluation. After a thorough assessment by the BKMCM staff, the hospital scheduled a surgical appointment for Amanuel, marking a hopeful step toward addressing his condition. Amanuel was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Amanuel has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Amanuel is receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. He is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on December 18th at BKMCM. Now, Amanuel's family needs help to raise $754 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Amanuel's mother said, "I hope that my child will be healthy, allowing me to sleep peacefully. I am deeply grateful to BKMCM and the generous donors for their incredible service in making this possible."

$754raised
Fully funded

Atanas is a playful and energetic three-year-old boy from Tanzania who loves to spend his time playing football with his siblings. He is the youngest of four children, living with both of his parents, who work tirelessly as small-scale farmers. Their livelihood depends on cultivating maize and beans on a small plot of land, just enough to feed the family and occasionally sell a little extra in the local market. Though they face many challenges, their home is filled with warmth, laughter, and love. Atanas was diagnosed with genu varus, a condition in which his legs bow outward so that his knees cannot touch. Several factors could cause this condition, such as growth disorders, vitamin deficiencies, or excessive fluoride found in contaminated drinking water. As a result, the knees can be angled inwards or outwards, making it difficult to walk and may cause long-term joint damage. His mother first noticed the bending in Atanas’s legs when he started walking. At first, they thought it was just part of growing up, but as time went by, the bowing became more noticeable, and Atanas began to tire easily whenever he played or walked for long periods.. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $777 to fund treatment for Atanas. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 11th at our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Treatment will hopefully restore Atanas's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Atanas’s mother says, “I’m always positive in life, but my son makes me doubt if I’ll be able to provide Atanas with the care he needs.”

$777raised
Fully funded