Efrain Vera
Efrain's Story

Efrain joined Watsi on March 18th, 2015. 17 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Efrain's most recent donation traveled 8,600 miles to support Mar, a 34-year-old mother from Thailand, to remove an ovarian cyst.

Impact

Efrain has funded healthcare for 5 patients in 5 countries.

Patients funded by Efrain

Phete is a seventeen-year-old young woman from Haiti. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), shares, “she is an excellent student and would like to go to medical school. When not in school she enjoys singing in her church choir, and spending time with her friends.” Phete has had difficulty pursuing these dreams due to a congenital heart defect. “She was born with a heart defect called patent ductus arteriosus, in which a hole remains open between the aorta and the pulmonary artery, allowing blood to pass through without obtaining oxygen,” HCA explains. “In developed countries, this would be fixed in the first few months of life," HCA reports. However, "Phete has been living with it into adulthood, depriving her body of the oxygen and blood flow it needs. This leaves her fatigued and sickly.” University Hospital of Martinique is subsidizing Phete's treatment with a $7,500 donation. For $1,500, we can provide overseas preparation and transportation for Phete. Surgery will consist of a small cut between her ribs to reach her heart, allowing for repair of the open duct. "Following closure of the defect, Phete should be able to live a normal life with no further symptoms from her heart condition,” HCA explains. With better overall health and restored energy, Phete will be able to enjoy her studies and friends, while continuing on her path to become a doctor. Phete tells us, "I have been worried about my heart problem for many years, and I want to thank everyone who is going to help fix it for me!"

$1,500raised
Fully funded