Leif's Story

Leif joined Watsi on March 12th, 2013. One year ago, Leif joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Leif's most recent donation supported Ann, a hardworking woman from Kenya, to fund fracture repair surgery for a broken wrist.

Impact

Leif has funded healthcare for 11 patients in 8 countries.

Patients funded by Leif

Ann is a 45-year-old woman from Kenya and a mother of four children aged between 23-27 years old. Her husband passed away in 1999. Her children have been unable to secure steady jobs, and Ann works as a casual laborer washing clothes to provide a living. However, she shared that her income is inconsistent, as it depends on the availability of work. She lives alone in a single room. Ann does not have medical coverage and is requesting assistance with her treatment costs. In April 2023, Ann slipped and fell on the road causing a fracture in her right wrist. She went to a local pharmacy for first aid and has since been using hot water and salt to treat the fracture due to a lack of medical coverage. However, her hand has continued to swell, and she is in chronic pain, making it challenging to use her right hand. A church member recommended Ann visit Kijabe Mission Hospital for review. Through church members’ contributions, Ann received an X-ray, and the doctor recommended she undergo surgery to treat the fracture. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On May 15th, Ann will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will heal the broken bones and enable her to use her hand again. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Ann says: “I can’t use my hand because it is broken. I am unable to work and sometimes sleep hungry because I depend on my hand to work and earn a living. I need the surgery to earn a livelihood.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Brenda is a student from Tanzania who has had epileptic seizures since childhood. This has continued until now, though she is taking medication that is helping her manage the condition. She shared that she is not close to her parents as they are verbally abusive. She tries to keep her distance, but with her condition, it has been hard to depend on herself. After hearing about our health center and the work we do, she was hopeful that she is could get help. She had to take more than three buses to get to our center. “I am lucky. I did not have any seizure episodes during my journey," she says. She is at our center ready to receive treatment, but she cannot afford it. Earlier this year, Brenda had a seizure and fell on a hot stove. Her face was badly burned. Brenda received treatment, but after healing her face was left impacted. She has been living this way for four months now, hiding her face whenever she goes out. Her neighbor saw her one day and noticed that she was hiding her face. Thankfully, he told her about our health center and informed her that she could get help. It is hard for her to open her eyes fully, and due to the disfiguration, her self-esteem is affected. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Brenda receive treatment. On October 13th, surgeons there will perform a burn contracture release surgery, which will allow her to open her eyes fully, and will hopefully help improve her self-esteem. Now, she needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Brenda says, “I am a spiritual person. I know it was God’s will for me to get here and get help. Thank you.”

$874raised
Fully funded