Laxmiprasad Swargam
Laxmiprasad's Story

Laxmiprasad joined Watsi on March 12th, 2013. 1,770 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Laxmiprasad's most recent donation supported Muhumuza, a teenager from Uganda, to fund a mass removal procedure.

Impact

Laxmiprasad has funded healthcare for 30 patients in 9 countries.

Patients funded by Laxmiprasad

"I hope that my son can grow and be a good teacher when he's big," shares the mother of 19-month-old Jeffry. Jeffry is the youngest of three children. He lives with his siblings and parents in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof in a rural village in the mountains of Guatemala. He loves to race his toy cars with his older siblings. His father works as an assistant to a bricklayer and his mother takes care of him and his siblings. They often live on less than $2 per day, meaning giving their son even just one piece of fruit, one vegetable, and one egg is out of reach. Jeffry is suffering from malnutrition because his parents have not been able to afford to provide him with a healthy and varied diet. His lack of protein, calories, and nutrients have made him nearly three standard deviations below the healthy size for his age. His body is weak and unable to fight off sicknesses, meaning he comes down with diarrhea, fever, or a respiratory infection almost every week. His mother is worried since lately he has not had an appetite and hasn't had the energy to play with his two older siblings. In the long term, Jeffry could have a lower IQ and a greater risk for chronic diseases if he does not receive treatment for his malnutrition. Growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation will help Jeffry recover from malnutrition - immediately saving his life and putting him on track to live a better life in the future. All of this treatment and medication costs $512. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age. His immune system will strengthen with the increased caloric intake, preventing him from having any life-threatening situations with diarrhea, fevers, and cough. This will further increase his appetite and help him use the extra calories to develop mentally instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses. Jeffry's parents will receive the support they need to give him the proper diet to grow and develop healthily. Intervention now will prevent the future devastating effects of malnutrition, and give Jeffry the chance to live a healthy and productive life, finish school, get a good job, and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place.

$512raised
Fully funded

Meet Reina, a 27-year-old woman from Guatemala. Reina is a patient with our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). Reina is excited to be pregnant again after three miscarriages, and one child who died a few days after birth. She is very worried that the same thing is going to happen again, and that is why she came to our clinic to receive prenatal care. She is now five months pregnant, and preliminary lab tests indicate that she is likely to have a rare autoimmune disorder that causes her blood to clot too easily, which typically results in preeclampsia and fetal death. Reina earns money by weaving traditional mayan blouses (güipiles), which she sells in the nearby market. Unfortunately, she is unable to weave due to her condition, which requires that she is in bedrest. Her husband works in the fields as a day laborer, and does not receive a consistent income. Reina loves to eat black beans with fried chicken, and mangoes. She is determined to do anything possible to make sure her baby is born, even though she is scared of going to the hospital because of the stories she has heard about discrimination against indigenous Mayan people like herself. This treatment will give Reina the high-quality medical care she requires to prevent another miscarriage and keep her own condition stable. She will receive obstetric ultrasounds, lab exams, and consultations with a obstetrician in a hospital, as well as accompaniment and translation services so she can receive care in her native Kaqchikel. This treatment will allow Reina to go to the hospital to give birth, giving her and her baby the best chance at survival. "We are happy because we think that this time we can make sure the baby is born," Reina said. "I am really taking care of myself so I can ensure that my baby is born without complications."

$377raised
Fully funded