Patrick Byrne
Patrick's Story

Patrick joined Watsi on September 22nd, 2016. 28 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Patrick's most recent donation supported Brian, a 12-year-old boy from Kenya, to fund treatment and equipment for hearing aids.

Impact

Patrick has funded healthcare for 72 patients in 10 countries.

Patients funded by Patrick

Brian is a 12 year old boy living with his parents and three older siblings. His father is a motorcycle taxi driver earning a living whenever he can from the limited work, while his mother stays at home to care for the children. When Brian was about nine months old, his parents noticed that he had general body weakness. He was diagnosed with rickets and additional medical conditions, which have caused a delay in many of his milestones as he continues to grow. Brian's physical coordination is limited, and he suffers from a profound hearing loss, for which his doctors have recommended hearing aids. But hearing aids are too expensive for his family to afford, so Brian currently attends a special school, which can accommodate his hearing loss. The doctors have assured Brian's parents that with hearing aids, Brian would be able to attend an ordinary school near their home. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,171 to cover the costs of the hearing aids and the fitting, which is scheduled to take place on June 17th at AIC Kijabe Hospital. With his hearing restored, Brian will be able to attend a regular school, and to interact more fully with the world around him. Brian's father says: “Brian is unable to pick up voices and this is affecting his studies. He shifted to a special school because of his condition. His doctors say that he can hear well if fitted with hearing aids. If he gets this medical attention, he can join his colleagues in a normal school.“

$1,171raised
Fully funded

Kenneth is a moto-taxi driver hailing from Marakwet County in Kenya. Kenneth completed his secondary school education in 2014 but did not proceed to college due to a lack of funds. He lives in a single-roomed rental house and he depends on his low-paying job to pay rent and provide daily needs for his family. During the afternoon on Saturday, November 6th, Kenneth was involved in a hit-and-run road traffic accident with a motorbike when he was headed home from his daily hustle. He sustained injuries on his leg including a fracture of the left femur which was confirmed after doing an X-Ray. Kenneth was brought by his brothers to our medical partner's hospital where his fracture was immobilized and he was admitted to the surgical ward. He is currently unable to use or move his leg. He is also in immense pain. This road accident has been extremely tough for Kenneth and his family since he has been the only breadwinner. Now he is worried about the struggles his family might face if he is not treated. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On November 9th, Kenneth will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This surgery will rid him of the pain and restore his ability to use his leg. He is seeking financial support to help him undergo the surgery. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure. Kenneth says, “I want to receive treatment [and] walk again so that I can be well and continue supporting my family.”

$1,145raised
Fully funded

Rhophence is struggling to speak when we meet her. She cannot pronounce words clearly or eat regularly due to a mandibular mass. She was diagnosed with Mandibular Fibrous Dysplasia, which is also causing her teeth to loosen on the affected area. She is scheduled for a 10-hour surgery at our Medical Partner's Care Center Kijabe Hospital. Her chronic mandibular swelling started back in October 2020 as a small swelling and has gradually increased in size, so Rhophence was forced to visit the hospital. She was treated for pain in their local health centre and discharged home. But, the swelling worsened and Rhophence opted to visit Kijabe in May 2021. Several tests revealed the Mandibular Fibrous Dysplasia diagnosis and surgery was recommended. She does not have the funds for the various procedures to relieve her pain. She is a single mother of four children aged between 30 and 18 years. She comes from a remote village along the Kenyan coast. She is currently jobless with no source of income and stays with her younger brother who she depends on for survival. The surgery is estimated to cost about $4,500. She has active national health insurance coverage that has only approved $2,000. She is unable to raise the remaining amount. She fundraised money for travel fare to come to Kijabe and she is now being hosted in the local centre by a relative. Rhophence shared, "This swelling is so painful. My mouth is deformed and I cannot even speak clearly. It’s sadly starting to give a bad odour making people close to me uncomfortable. This is affecting my life. I need these surgeries to normalize my life.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded