Shridhar Gupta
Shridhar's Story

Shridhar joined Watsi on August 15th, 2014. 11 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Shridhar's most recent donation traveled 8,800 miles to support Dorn, a hardworking farmer from Cambodia, to fund surgery to treat her perforated ear drum.

Impact

Shridhar has funded healthcare for 73 patients in 10 countries.

Patients funded by Shridhar

Veronica is a cheerful, married 29-year-old mother of two children. Veronica shared that she left school in primary school, because her parents could not afford her school fees. Her husband earns a living through helping people lift heavy luggage at a local bus station, and he also does a variety of other jobs when he has the opportunity. Veronica enjoys spending time with her two children, ages two and four; they give her joy and fulfillment as a mother. Her family lives in a one-bedroom rented house. In 2009, Veronica developed a swelling on her neck. She ignored it, thinking it would soon go away, but in 2014, the swelling grew. In 2015, she was diagnosed with a goiter, or enlarged thyroid, and surgery was recommended. As the goiter continues to grow, she has experienced coughing, difficulty breathing and difficulty swallowing. She can no longer sing in church or carry heavy things on her head, and she shared that she can no longer eat hard foods like msima, a Malawian staple. Veronica also told us that the condition has changed her appearance and has impacted her self-esteem. Veronica has visited the government hospital more than 15 times since her diagnosis, but her surgery was always rescheduled. Two weeks ago, she went to a different hospital and was referred to our medical partner's care center, where a surgeon recommended a thyroidectomy. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Veronica receive treatment. On May 25th, Veronica will undergo a thyroidectomy at AMH's care center. Now, AMH is requesting $1,015 to fund her procedure. The surgery is expected to improve her life and heal her symptoms. With a hopeful smile, Veronica shared, “I am overwhelmed with this opportunity to be sponsored for this operation. After the operation, I hope to live normally and care for my children properly. I believe I should be able to eat hard msima [the Malawi staple food] or raw cassava and potatoes which I now miss greatly. I look forward to sleeping without struggles after this surgery, much appreciation!”

$1,015raised
Fully funded

Mu Hee is a 23-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her parents, older brother, sister in-law, three nephews and three nieces in a refugee camp. Mu Hee’s older brother is the sole income earner in their family. He works as a nurse in the camp’s hospital, which is run by International Rescue Committee (IRC). Mu Hee’s parents and her sister in-law look after the household chores. Mu Hee’s nieces and nephews are students and Mu Hee is a Bible school student. Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020, she has been studying online in the refugee camp. Her teachers support her school fees and food. In her free time, Mu Hee likes to play with her nieces and nephews. She also loves to listen to music and sing. When Mu Hee was 14 years old, she began to experience severe abdominal pain. The first time it occurred, her father called a medic who lived close to their house, and the medic gave her an injection. She felt better after the injection, but continued to feel unwell every month. When she was 15, her father took her to the clinic in the camp to check whether Mu Hee had a serious illness in her abdomen, but the medic could not find any problem. Mu Hee's pain continued and she continued to receive treatment to help, but she did not think that her condition was serious because she had heard from her friends that some women experienced pain during the first day of their period. In early 2020, Mu Hee spoke about this condition with a staff member from a nearby clinic and with one of her teachers. Both urged her to get a check-up, and in February 2020, Mu Hee went to a clinic and a medic found a mass in her left ovary. Doctors have tried to treat her with medications for almost a year, but the mass has continued to grow. During a follow-up appointment in January 2021, the doctor told her that she would need surgery. Recently, Mu Hee has experienced pain in the left side of her lower abdomen almost every day. The pain is on and off and she feels most uncomfortable when running or walking, especially over long distances. She also experiences some pain as she does other basic daily tasks. Mu Hee sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery, and she is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Mu Hee said, “The first time when I heard that I have a mass in my ovary, I felt very sad. I am also worried that the mass might be cancerous. I think about my condition very often, but my parents are very supportive, and they encourage me not to be afraid. I believe that I will no longer experience pain after surgery.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Brian is a nine-year-old boy from Kenya. He is the only child in his family. Brian was born with bilateral clubfoot, which due to lack of resources, ended up being neglected. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. In May 2020, with support from Watsi donors, Brian had a successful postmedial release on his right foot. He now requires surgery to correct his left foot as well so that he can walk easily and with better balance. His family is not able to raise funds needed for the cost of his care. Brian's father is a carpenter and his mother is a farmer. Their combined income is not enough to meet the required cost of surgery. Brian's father is grateful for the support they received for his first surgery. Now, the family once again appeals for help.  Fortunately, Brian traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. Surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on January 11th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Brian's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily again. Brian's father shared, “I lack words to express my sincere gratitude to God, CURE and Watsi for the great support they have rendered to us, indeed you have been of great help to us. We were in despair because of our son, but you have restored hope to our family. We are witnessing to people of what you have done to us. Be blessed."

$1,286raised
Fully funded

Aiden is a four-year-old boy from Kenya. He is a playful kindergartener who hails from Kanam Keener Village in Turkana County. On November 13th, Aiden sustained a severe injury to his right upper limb after he fell on a hard ground while playing with his friends. His aunt brought him to the hospital after she heard his cries outside. Aiden was reviewed by our partner doctors, who conducted an X-Ray revealing a fracture to his right supracondylar or upper arm bone. Because he was in pain and could not move his hand, doctors applied skin traction to stabilize his fracture and realign the normal position of the bone. Aiden will need an Open Reduction and External Fixation (OREF) procedure to fully treat his injury. Unfortunately, this procedure is costly for Aiden and his family. Aiden is the second born child in a family of three. His mother is a single mother who earns wages from laundry labor. Because she lacks a stable job, she is struggling financially, exacerbated especially by the COVID pandemic. She decided to take Aiden to stay with his aunt because it was difficult for her to support three children by herself. Aiden and his family are appealing for financial help. On November 16th, Aiden will undergo an OREF procedure at our medical partner's care center, which will cost $801. Once recovered, he will be able to move his hand again and carry out daily life activities as normal. Aiden's mother shared, “He has so much pain. I hope he gets treated and feels better and will be well again”.

$801raised
Fully funded

Kupha is a 45-year-old woman from Kenya and has six children. In 2014, Kupha started experiencing some pain in her upper jaw. After some time, her jaw started to swell and the pain worsened. Both cold and hot food triggered pain that would last day and night. She went to a nearby facility in Kwale County to seek care, and was given some pain medication that worked for a while. She later returned for a surgery to remove the swollen tissue. Though she recovered well, the following year, Kupha started experiencing pain and swelling again. Upon returning to the same facility for a checkup, the doctor told her that no further treatment could be done. A few years later, Kupha heard about Kijabe Hospital and came for an examination in January 2020. The doctors diagnosed her with a benign maxillary mass and scheduled her for an excision surgery. During the surgery, they will put in a plate and screws to hold together her maxillar. However, Kupha and her family are not able to raise funds needed for the surgery. After the death of her husband a few years ago, Kupha has been struggling to provide for her six children. Her firstborn son is the main breadwinner of the family and also attends college, partially sponsored by the county government of Kwale. He does some casual jobs when he is not in class to feed the family, and also facilitates his mother's hospital visits. Kupha was able to raise some money for her treatment, but she does not have enough financial support and appeals for help. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of Kupha's surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on October 15th and will be a ten hour long surgery. Hopefully, this treatment will alleviate her of further severe pain and swelling. Kupha shared, “With the pain that I have endured over the years, it has made it difficult for me to look for work and provide for my family. I will be happy when I receive the required treatment for my condition.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Rosaline is a 23-year-old manual laborer from Kenya. When she was only 15 years old, young Rosaline was married and conceived her 1st born. A year later, she left her matrimonial home following constant quarrels and domestic violence from her then-husband. She went back to her ancestral home to live with her elderly mother. She currently has three children ages: 7, 4, and 2 years old. She was not able to complete a formal education. Rosaline lives in a one-room traditional house with her children. She depends on a small income she gets from fetching water for people in her village. On a good day, she makes $2, which she uses to feed her kids and take care of her basic needs. On days when there are no jobs, she relies on her siblings for food. Rosaline is the last born in a family of five. Her siblings do fishing in the nearby lake Baringo and don’t have a stable source of income either. In April 2020, Rosaline's traditional lessos and dress caught fire while cooking in her small makeshift kitchen. She shared that the space around the cooking area is small and can barely accommodate 2 people. As she was turning to pick up salt, her loose lessos and dress caught fire causing severe burns on more than 20% of her body. She now has difficulty sitting and is in pain. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Rosaline receive treatment. On September 22nd, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to this treatment will help her heal properly and she will no longer be in pain. Now, Rosaline needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Rosaline shared with us, “I have gone through a lot. Early marriage and break up, teen pregnancy, and now this accident. I have 3 children to feed and raise. I even had to discontinue my little baby from breastfeeding after I sustained the burns. I am in constant pain and at risk of getting infections. I am hopeful I will get to undergo this surgery so that I can take care of my young family.”

$1,185raised
Fully funded