Aisha BoschulteUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Aisha's Story

Aisha joined Watsi on April 14th, 2013. Nine years ago, Aisha joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Aisha's most recent donation traveled 7,100 miles to support Stephen, a 62-year-old grandfather from Kenya, to fund a repair surgery so that he can walk comfortably and provide for his family.

Impact

Aisha has funded healthcare for 151 patients in 12 countries.

Patients funded by Aisha

Japhet is a baby and the last born in a family of five children living in Ngorongoro, Tanzania. His father works as a livestock keeper and farmer, cultivating crops for sustenance while selling part of the harvested produce to meet household expenses. Meanwhile, Japhet's mother fulfills the role of a homemaker, taking care of the children and managing house and family. Despite the father's efforts to provide for the family, there are difficulties in affording education and healthcare for their children, leading to their reliance on traditional remedies for medical treatment. Japhet was born with clubfoot, a condition where the foot is twisted out of shape, causing difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. This situation concerns his parents as they contemplate their child's future. While attending church, they received information about visiting specialists organizing a clinic specifically for children with treatable disabilities. Japhet's mother was able to attend the clinic, feeling relieved upon hearing about potential treatment options. With the church's assistance, transportation was arranged for them to travel to the hospital, and they arrived at our medical partner's center, where they were warmly welcomed. After assessing Japhet, he was diagnosed with clubfoot, specifically in his left foot. He will undergo manipulation and casting to gradually correct the foot's angle, followed by a tenotomy surgery to heal his condition. Thankfully, on June 16th, skilled surgeons at our medical partner, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, will perform clubfoot repair surgery. African Mission Healthcare is seeking $935 in funding to cover the costs associated with Japhet's treatment. This procedure will significantly improve Japhet's prospects for a better future. Japhet's mother says, "I hope my child will have the best treatment, and this treatment will make his future life better."

$935raised
Fully funded

Provia is a 52-year-old mother of three. She went to primary school but eventually had to drop out due to the cost of tuition, but now owns and runs her own retail shop to meet her family’s needs. Her children are all grown now with careers of their own, but her youngest child is currently pursuing a degree in nursing at the local University and Provia is trying to assist her with tuition. Since 2021, Provia has been experiencing severe backaches and abdominal pain. When the pains persisted, she visited a doctor's office and was given medication. This helped her for a while, however, in January and February of this year, she started experiencing more severe lower abdominal pains and other worrying symptoms. The abdominal pains have become so severe and unbearable that she is often forced to stay in bed and is unable to run her small shop. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), was able to diagnose Provia with Chronic Pelvic Inflammatory Disease with endometritis. AMH determined that she needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which the surgeons at AMH will remove her uterus. The surgery is currently scheduled for April 14th. AMH is requesting $319 to fund Provia's surgery. Once recovered, Provia will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Provia says, “I pray that I may have a successful surgery. I believe I will have another chance to live a normal life again after surgery and be able to continue running my and supporting my family.”

$319raised
Fully funded

Kelita is a single mother with four children, aged 18,14,12, and 8. Kelita shared that she separated from her husband in 2017 because she would not adhere to cultural chieftaincy rules that wives are supposed to follow. Kelita refused to stop going to church; hence her family broke apart, and her husband married another woman. He does not provide support for his children so Kelita works hard to support her family on her own. Kelita sells cooked green maize in the nearest markets, earning about $37.00 per month. She and her four children live in a three-room house without water or electricity. Kelita does extra work in people’s gardens for her family's support and shared that she enjoys eating nsima (ugali) with vegetables prepared with groundnut flour. Kelita was well until 2011, when, after the delivery of her third child, she noted a fast-growing swelling on her neck. She did not seek medical care as there was no pain. As time passed, the swelling grew, but was not painful. In 2021, Kelita started experiencing neck heaviness and breathlessness, frequent coughs, and pains when carrying heavy items on her head. This affected her daily activities and business since she could no longer carry a basket of maize on her head. Kelita stopped her cooking business and relied on doing piece work in people’s gardens to support her family. However, even this is difficult now, as bending has become a challenge. In November 2021, Kelita visited her nearest hospital and was referred to Kamuzu Central Hospital, where an ultrasound scan revealed a bilateral complex mass in her thyroid. Kelita was sent for thyroid function tests but since she did not have the money required for the tests, she returned home to try traditional medicine, to no avail. In July, Kelita met a Partners in Hope (PIH) beneficiary who guided her to visit PIH for potential support from Watsi. On August 14th, Kelita met the surgeon at PIH. After the required tests were completed, a diagnosis of goiter was confirmed. Kelita was told she needed to have a surgical intervention called thyroidectomy, the removal of part or all of the thyroid gland. Due to her financial challenges, Kelita was referred to Watsi's medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, for support. Kelita could smile much bigger after hearing about the planned surgery and committed to a co-pay $27.64 from her savings. Kelita hopes to be well again after the surgical operation. Kelita looks forward to the peace of mind that will enable her to support her children as a single parent. “I need my peace of mind for me to resume my business and be able to carry items on my head again. Kindly help me,” Kelita says.

$1,015raised
Fully funded

Dollores is a hardworking 59-year-old woman from Philippines. She was an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, and then worked as a call center agent. Unfortunately, in October 2022, she was dismissed from her job due to being medically unfit. Now, she lives with her daughter and family, and the sole breadwinner is her son-in-law, who works in finance. In June 2022, Dollores noticed a mass on her right breast. At her initial examination, she was told that the mass was benign, but in a follow-up biopsy, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, or a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been recommended to remove the cancer and prevent it from metastasizing. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Dollores receive treatment. On January 7th, she will undergo a mastectomy at WSFP's care center. After treatment, Dollores will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. A portion of the cost of her treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. Dollores needs help raising $1,058 to cover the remaining cost of her procedure and care. Dollores shared tearfully, "your help brings relief to my heart and mind. This will ease my worries, especially about the medical bill. I believe that there's a reason why you're saving me, and that's for me to continue with my life. Thank you, WATSI and World Surgical Foundation Philippines! I hope to give back the help that you've given me."

$1,058raised
Fully funded