C
Christopher WilliamsUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER

United States   •   August 18th
Christopher's Story

Christopher joined Watsi on September 8th, 2014. Five years ago, Christopher joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Christopher's most recent donation traveled 2,600 miles to support Andrés, a 13-year-old boy from Colombia, to fund hernia repair surgery.

Impact

Christopher has funded healthcare for 70 patients in 12 countries.

Patients funded by Christopher

Elizabeth is a four-year-old girl from the Serengeti District in the Mara Region of Tanzania. She is the youngest of three children, but sadly, her older sister passed away due to severe anemia. Elizabeth was raised by both her parents until recently, when her mother entrusted her care to her aunt. Her aunt, who now accompanies Elizabeth for treatment, is a small-scale farmer who grows maize for their household consumption and to provide income. Elizabeth was diagnosed with clubfoot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. The tissues connecting the muscle to the bones are shorter than usual, and this causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. For Elizabeth, this condition has made walking difficult and affected her balance and stability. In January 2026, Elizabeth's family traveled to Kenya for treatment, where she underwent several rounds of casting to address her condition. Sadly, her condition relapsed, leaving the family discouraged and unsure where to seek further help. Fortunately, in July 2026, their hope was restored when Kafika House, our medical partner's care center, had community partners visit the Serengeti and informed Elizabeth's family that effective treatment for relapsed clubfoot was available. They immediately traveled to Kafika House to begin her journey toward recovery. Elizabeth will now undergo a new series of corrective casts to realign her foot, followed by an Achilles tendon lengthening procedure. Surgeons will begin Elizabeth's clubfoot treatment at Kafika House on July 14th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,171 to fund Elizabeth's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Elizabeth will have the opportunity to walk comfortably, play confidently, and enjoy a brighter, more independent future. Elizabeth's aunt said, "When her first treatment failed, we feared Elizabeth would struggle for the rest of her life. Today, we have renewed hope. We are grateful that she has another chance to receive the care she needs and dream of seeing her walk confidently like other children."

$1,171raised
Fully funded

Nellie, who is 41 years old, lives in Malawi. She and her husband have six children, ranging in age from 5 to 24 years old. Nellie relies on tomato selling as her main source of income. In 2018, Nellie began to experience troubling symptoms, including a small lump on her neck. At that time, the lump did not interfere with her daily activities, and she did not seek medical attention. In 2022, the swelling increased in size, and was accompanied by neck pain, frequent coughing, and persistent tiredness. She sought medical care at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, where she was diagnosed with a goiter. Over time, her condition progressively worsened. She began experiencing breathlessness, difficulty swallowing, persistent neck pain, and reduced physical capacity, including difficulty carrying heavy items and climbing steps. These symptoms severely limited her ability to work and to function normally. On March 29th, while at the market in Lilongwe, Nellie was advised to seek care at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center (PIH), for possible surgical assistance. At the hospital, the initial diagnosis of goiter was confirmed, which is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth and other bodily functions. Nellie needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Nellie receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on April 14th at Partners in Hope Medical Center, during which surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. Nellie is contributing towards the cost of her treatment, but needs help in raising $1,015 more to fund the procedure. Full of hope, Nellie says: "I count it a blessing to have found at PIH. I am hopeful that my health issues will soon come to an end after surgery. This is my year of favor, and I am patiently looking forward to your generous support."

$1,015raised
Fully funded

Savoeun is a 53-year-old man from Kompong Thom province in Cambodia. He is married with three children; his eldest is a university student, his second born is in grade 10, and his youngest is in kindergarten. His wife sells vegetables at a local market to support the family. In his free time, Savoeun enjoys planting fruits and vegetables and feeding his hens. He used to work as a construction worker but can no longer do this due to his condition. In 2010, Savoeun was in a motorbike accident and fractured several bones. He was prescribed steroids for pain. Over time, he developed avascular necrosis of his hip, a condition where the blood supply to the ball-shaped part of the thigh bone (femoral head) is disrupted, leading to bone death. He has undergone several surgeries, including a left hip replacement but he suffers from chronic infections in the hip prosthesis. He also experiences pain and fever, and is now seeking further treatment to regain mobility and reduce pain. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center, is helping Savoeun receive treatment. On November 12th, he will undergo an uncemented hip replacement procedure on his left hip. Savoeun is able to afford only $50 for his treatment, and needs help to raise an additional $1,450 to cover surgery, a special prosthesis, medications, post-operative care, and rehabilitation. Savoeun says: "After surgery, I hope that I will no longer have pain, and will be able to walk properly without using crutches, so I can resume work to support my family."

$1,450raised
Fully funded