Stan Frymann
Stan's Story

Stan joined Watsi on March 12th, 2013. 1,770 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Stan's most recent donation traveled 8,800 miles to support Chetra, a bright and active student from Cambodia, to fund burn contracture release surgery so he can return to pursuing his dreams free of discomfort.

Impact

Stan has funded healthcare for 46 patients in 9 countries.

Patients funded by Stan

Chetra is a bright and active 15-year-old from Cambodia with big goals. He has three sisters and is the third child in his family. His father unfortunately passed away several years ago, so his mother single-handedly supports their family by working in a garment factory. Chetra enjoys playing football, playing games, and listening to music. He is currently in grade nine, and he thrives in math and Khmer literature. In the future, he aspires to be a lawyer. When Chetra was only six years old, a finger on his left hand was damaged by an electric burn. After the accident, his mother took him to a hospital to receive care for his wound, but he developed a contracture, which is the shortening and hardening of tendons and other tissue. This leads to the tightening of the skin surrounding the burn. Several years ago, Chetra underwent surgery in hopes of healing his condition, but there was unfortunately no improvement. He is currently unable to hold objects using his left hand and is in pain when he tries to straighten his finger. When Chetra learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On July 25th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him use his left hand easily again. This procedure will include a skin graft to cover the wound. Now, he and his family need help to fund this $495 procedure. Chetra says, "I hope I can use my finger again soon and can grip things."

$495raised
Fully funded

Rayvan is a 1 month old baby boy living with his parents and three siblings in Kenya. Rayvan's mother used to plough her neighbors' farms, while his father herds cattle and ploughs farms to earn a living for their family. Rayvan parents shared that he was born at home because they could not afford to pay for his delivery at a hospital. After his birth, his mother noticed that Rayvan had a large swelling on the lower part of his back. She immediately took him to a nearby hospital to be examined. Rayvan was given some medication, and sent back home. After using the medication for a few weeks, there was no change in his condition. His mother shared her concerns about Rayvan with her friends, and one of them referred her to our medical partner's care center BethanyKids Hospital in Kijabe. On arrival, he was examined and diagnosed with spina bifida, a condition that requires surgical intervention to heal. Without surgery, Rayvan is at risk of developing paralysis of his lower limbs, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, and possible developmental delays. His parents do not have health insurance, and are unable to pay for the surgery he needs. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,151 to cover the cost of Rayvan's spina bifida closure surgery, which is scheduled to take place on May 18th at BethanyKids Hospital. This procedure will hopefully spare Rayvan from the risks associated with his condition, and enable him to grow up strong and healthy. Rayvan’s mother says: “I have never seen such a condition before and I was very much worried about my child. Now I’m happy to hear that he can get treated. The sad part is that I cannot afford the treatment but I believe that God will make a way.”

$1,151raised
Fully funded

Naing is a 46-year-old-man who lives with his mother, wife, sister, son and two daughters in Karen State in the border area of Burma. Naing used to work in a teashop as a baker but stopped four years ago when his health deteriorated. His son is also unemployed, unable to find work ever since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in Burma more than a year ago. They all rely on Naing’s wife, who works as a vendor in the market, to get by. She earns about 150,000 kyat (approx. 150 USD) a month, which they shared is not enough to cover their household expenses. In 2014, Naing received surgery for a right inguinal hernia with the help of his employer. Then, four years ago in 2017, he noticed that he had a small lump on his left side. Over time, the small lump increased in size and shifted downwards, causing pain and discomfort that made it impossible for Naing to continue working at the teashop. Although Naing knew that he most likely is having another hernia, since he was experiencing the same symptoms as before, he did not have enough money to pay for surgery. Therefore, he tried to cope with the pain and discomfort without treatment. In June, Naing’s friend advised for him to go to Ananda Myitta Clinic, a charity clinic in his city to ask for help accessing treatment. Naing and his friend went to the clinic, where they talked to the founder. The founder then referred Naing to another organization called Health for All who help put him in touch with our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), for assistance accessing surgery for his hernia. Naing said, “I would like to receive treatment for my hernia. If I’m cured, I can work again as a baker and our [household] income will increase. Now, only my wife works and we all depend on her.”

$828raised
Fully funded