Stefano Fontana
Stefano's Story

Stefano joined Watsi on May 15th, 2016. 19 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Stefano's most recent donation traveled 4,000 miles to support Mathew, a student from Tanzania, to fund surgery to help him breathe.

Impact

Stefano has funded healthcare for 8 patients in 5 countries.

Patients funded by Stefano

Adrianel is a six-year-old boy from the Philippines, currently in the first grade. He and his three older siblings were raised by their grandparents, as their mother suffers from mental illness and their father left to be with another woman. When Adrianel was six months old, his grandmother noticed that his scrotum was enlarged and increasing in size. His grandparents are very worried about him, but they could not afford to bring him to a doctor. He is often in pain, and when the pain flares up he can barely eat or sleep. Adrianel was referred to a community clinic, sponsored by our medical partner, International Care Ministries. Doctors diagnosed him with an inguinal hernia, and he was advised to undergo surgery as soon as possible to avoid further complications. Unfortunately, Adrianel's grandfather is the family's sole earner and cannot afford to pay for the $962 hernia repair surgery. Aside from his condition, Adrianel is attentive, sociable, and very eager to learn in school. He helps his grandparents in small ways, such as sweeping the leaves around the house and folding clothes. Adrianel is very close to his grandparents, and says that when he grows up, he will build a big and beautiful house for them. He also wishes to get his mother treatment so she can rejoin their family. Adrianel's grandparents are concerned about his condition and his future. They want him to finish his studies and enjoy his childhood like other children his age. "Thank you for helping us and our grandson," they say.

$962raised
Fully funded

Miriam is a 66-year-old woman from a remote region of Kenya. She lives with her husband in a grass-thatched house, and they sell charcoal to support themselves. Four of her five children have families and live in the same village, and her youngest child is in high school. In 2011, Miriam injured her eye injury and received eye drops from a local dispensary. However, she noticed a gradual change in her vision as she developed a cataract in one of her eyes. A cataract occurs when there is a buildup of proteins in the lens of the eye. This causes the lens to become cloudy, disrupting the passage of light through the lens and impairing vision. Most cataracts are due to age-related changes in the eye and account for 50 percent of all cases of blindness worldwide. Early symptoms include blurred vision and tearing. Miriam says she is not able to walk comfortably as she has problems with her vision. She has not been able to access medical care. In June 2016, at an eye camp organized by Kijabe hospital, doctors recommended cataract surgery for Miriam, but she is not able to raise the amount needed. For $230, Miriam will undergo small incision cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lens from her eye and replace it with an intraocular lens implant. Funding for her treatment also includes an overnight hospital stay, eye drops, and medicine to reduce pain and prevent infection. “I want to be able to see clearly again and be able to provide for myself," shares Miriam.

$230raised
Fully funded

Jonalyn is a happy, 13-year-old student who loves to study and play a game similar to kick-the-can. She lives with her parents and two siblings in the Philippines, where their one-room house has a cement floor and a thatched roof made of nipa leaves. Jonalyn noticed a mass on the right side of neck when she was 12 years old. She told her mother about it, but they did not seek help since they did not have money to spend on medical consultations or medicine. After a few months, she complained of pain when swallowing and difficulty breathing and also noticed that the mass on her neck was getting bigger. She has been unable to concentrate during her classes because of the on-and-off throbbing pain in her neck. During a church activity in May of 2015, Jonalyn felt a throbbing pain in her neck and was examined by a doctor. She was diagnosed with a goiter—an enlarged thyroid gland usually caused by a deficiency of iodine, an important element in the production of thyroid hormones that regulate the body's metabolism. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic for seven days and iron supplements for 10 days and referred Jonalyn to another care facility to undergo tests to determine the type of goiter. Unfortunately, the family was unable to seek further care for Jonalyn until now. She was screened by a health trainer in one of our sponsored communities, consultation was facilitated, and she was advised to undergo a thyroidectomy to remove the thyroid gland. Jonalyn's mother is a housewife, and her father raises pigs. They cannot pay for surgery for Jonalyn because their income is barely enough to sustain the family's daily needs. $1,500 covers the cost of Jonalyn's surgery, transportation to and from the hospital, 10 days of hospital care—including medicine, imaging, and blood tests—and medicine to take after she goes home. The surgery will lessen Jonalyn's discomfort due to her condition. "I am very thankful to you for helping people like me in my condition, especially those who are not financially capable in terms of health treatment," shares Jonalyn. "I was truly blessed because I was given an opportunity to be treated. After the surgery, I plan to continue my schooling to reach my dreams and help my family someday."

$1,500raised
Fully funded