Anton de WinterUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Anton's Story

Anton joined Watsi on April 8th, 2014. Nine years ago, Anton joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Anton's most recent donation traveled 8,800 miles to support Sophea, a father from Cambodia, to fund surgery to help restore his hearing.

Impact

Anton has funded healthcare for 105 patients in 12 countries.

patients you have funded

Naing is a 27-year-old man who lives with his parents, brother and two sisters in Burma. He enjoys playing cane ball and reading. His parents are retired and grow vegetables in their garden. Naing's brother is a day laborer, but he has been unable to find regular work since the Covid-19 pandemic, so he cannot contribute towards household expenses. One of Naing's sisters works as a government officer, while the other is a shop worker. Naing used to work in his uncle’s shop selling groceries and flowers, but he was forced to stop working when his health began to decline. Naing first developed a cough and a fast heartbeat in November 2021. At a clinic in Dawei, Naing was diagnosed with high blood pressure, provided with medication, and sent home. In December 2021, because of his rapid heartbeat, Naing traveled to the hospital in Dawei, where he underwent a series of tests. Doctors at the hospital told Naing that there were problems with the valves in his heart. Once again, Naing was given medication, and sent home. Last February, Naing vomited, could not sleep, and felt tired when he stood or sat. He went to Dawei General Hospital, and showed the doctor his previous echocardiogram result. The doctor told him to continue taking his medication from Yangon, and gave him some vitamins. A few days later, Naing felt better. Then in March, Naing and his sister went to Yangon General Hospital, where he underwent more testing. This time the doctor told him that he might need to have two of his heart valves surgically replaced. Naing’s sister told the doctor that Naing had been to several hospitals over the past year, and the family had no more money left. Naing's health continues to decline, and he has lost five kilograms; he needs to have surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is here to help Naing access the care that he needs. They are requesting $1,500 to cover the costs of Naing's valve replacement surgery, scheduled to take place on August 9th, at Pun Hlaing Hospital. Naing said: “I am so tired of visiting several hospitals and hoping to receive surgery. My sister has had to take leave [from her work as a government officer] several times, and now she has had to take leave without pay [to accompany me as my caregiver]. I feel embarrassed that my family has used up all their money, sold all their jewelry, and made sacrifices for me. Finally, I have met your organization BCMF, and I will have the chance to receive surgery with the help of donors. I feel less stressed that I will not have to wait so long to receive surgery, and that my sister will be able to go back to work. Thank you so much.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Alice is a cheerful and talkative 63-year-old farmer from Kenya. She has seven children, with her youngest being 14 and her oldest being 40. Although she is married, Alice works to support her children alone. She and her family live on a small piece of land, half of which is reserved for a tea plantation. She grows and sells this tea in order to pay her children's school fees and provide them with their day-to-day needs. 15 years ago, Alice began experiencing troubling symptoms, including neck swelling, joint weakness, and constant fatigue. After attempting to alleviate her symptoms using herbal medication with no success, she decided to seek medical attention at a health center. The medics referred her to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kapsowar Hospital, for diagnosis and treatment. Fortunately, a friend provided her with money to pay for her transportation to the hospital. Once there, she was diagnosed with bilateral non-toxic multinodular goiter, meaning she has multiple lumps located within her thyroid glands. In order to stop her symptoms and prevent them from worsening, she must undergo surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), is helping Alice receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on August 15th at AMHF's care center. During this procedure, surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This surgery will cost $936, and Alice and her family need help raising money. Alice says, “I would like to see my children achieve their dreams. I look forward to getting well to continue providing for and supporting them. Kindly help me.”

$936raised
Fully funded

Elinipa is a beautiful two-year-old girl. She is an incredibly friendly child who loves to play with her five older siblings. At birth, she was a healthy child. It wasn't until she was learning to walk however, that her mother noticed that her legs were slightly curved, yet even so they did not seek treatment assuming it was a minor problem that she would outgrow. Elinipa has now been diagnosed with bilateral valgus, which is a condition caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result of her condition, Elinipa's legs bow inward to the point that her knees touch. This makes walking persistently more difficult as she continues to grow. Through our medical partner's outreach program her parents learned that their daughter needs surgery to correct her legs. Elinipa's parents are small scale famers who depend entirely on what they harvest to make a living. As a result, their income is not enough to afford to take Elinipa to the hospital to treat her condition. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Elinipa. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 13th at our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. With this treatment Elinipa's mobility will hopefully be restored, thus allowing her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decreasing her risk of future complications. Elinipa’s father says, “I am worried with how her legs continue to bend inward. Please help us.”

$880raised
Fully funded