L

Finland
Lasse's Story

Lasse joined Watsi on September 19th, 2013. Twelve years ago, Lasse joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Lasse's most recent donation traveled 7,200 miles to support Flor, a three-year-old girl from Bolivia, to fund heart surgery.

Impact

Lasse has funded healthcare for 159 patients in 16 countries.

Patients funded by Lasse

Loyce is a 48-year-old wife and mother of four from Malawi. Two of her children are married with families of their own, while the other two assist with farming work at home. For many years, Loyce has contributed to her family's livelihood through her small charcoal-selling business, while her husband works as a builder. Together, they have worked tirelessly to provide for their family. For the last 18 months, Loyce has been living with uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids are common, non-cancerous growths that develop within or on the wall of the uterus and can cause symptoms such as heavy bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, abdominal swelling, fatigue, and anemia. When symptoms become severe, surgical intervention is often necessary to relieve pain, prevent complications, and improve quality of life. Loyce's journey toward care began when she first sought medical attention at a nearby health facility, where the doctors suspected the presence of uterine fibroids and referred her to another hospital for further assessment and confirmation. Despite receiving medical care at the time, her symptoms continued to worsen. She experienced ongoing lower abdominal pain, backache, dizziness, weakness, and increasing discomfort that interfered with her daily activities and quality of life. At the initial referral hospital, the doctors scheduled her for surgery in October 2026. However, in June 2026, her condition took a serious turn when she developed worrisome bleeding and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. After her condition stabilized, Loyce was discharged and advised to return immediately if her symptoms worsened. Unfortunately, her symptoms persisted, and in late July 2026, Loyce returned to the hospital. Due to the high volume of emergency cases requiring urgent attention, Loyce was referred to our medical partner's hospital, Partners in Hope (PIH) Hospital, for immediate surgical evaluation and management. At PIH, Loyce learned about the surgery program and, for the first time in many months, felt hopeful upon learning her surgery could be performed quickly without the prolonged delays she had previously experienced. Understanding the importance of her treatment and despite her financial hardships, Loyce voluntarily offered to contribute a co-pay of MWK 100,000 ($57.11 UDS) toward the cost of her care. On August 5th, Loyce will undergo a hysterectomy at PIH. Once recovered, Loyce will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. PIH is requesting $1,363 to fund her surgery. For Loyce, this surgery represents more than medical treatment. It is an opportunity to regain her strength, restore her health, and return to the activities that support her family. She dreams of returning to her charcoal business, helping with household responsibilities, and living free from the pain and uncertainty that have overshadowed the past year and a half. Loyce shared, "I would rather lose my womb than suffer and die. Kindly help me to move on with my life while I serve my family in good health; I already have enough children and grandchildren, so I don't have to suffer for nothing."

$936raised
$427to go

Chu is a 44-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her sister and niece in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand. She left her home in Yangon Region, Burma, to escape violence after a military coup in 2021. Chu and her sister work at a church in Mae Sot, where they cook and clean for daily events and handle behind-the-scenes tasks for weddings, funerals, and parties. They rely on donations from the church and have no formal salary. The income she receives is enough to cover basic expenses for the family, including food and healthcare. In her free time, she loves to cook and bake desserts. After surgery, she wants to continue to make snacks and potentially start a business selling them on her own. Since 2023, Chu has been experiencing troubling symptoms, including right lower back pain and right lower abdomen pain. The pain worsens when Chu stands or sits for long periods of time. Her symptoms are exacerbated at work, but she continues her duties, taking oral painkillers to manage the pain. Doctors plan to perform a ureteroscopy, a procedure used to diagnose and treat kidney stones or ureteral blockages by passing a small, fiberoptic scope through the urethra and bladder into the ureter. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 for this procedure. The treatment is scheduled to take place on April 10th. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully alleviate her symptoms. Chu said, "I had nowhere else to look for money. After your organisation agreed to help me, I felt relieved. I have fled from my home and left my family to come here. However, I feel warm and supported by my church with basic needs. Thank you for helping me.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Jeronimo is a little boy from Colombia. He lives in Támesis, Antioquia, with his parents. He is curious and intelligent, full of dreams and eager to get ahead. Jeronimo was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remain undescended. If left untreated, Jeronimo has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Knowing of these future complications has been difficult for Jeronimo's family, especially given their financial circumstances. The opportunity to receive care would represent an immense blessing for their family and new hope for Jeronimo's future. Fortunately, Jeronimo will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, Clinica Noel. He is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on February 24th. Clinica Noel is requesting $1,167 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. His parents shared that they hope treatment will significantly transform Jeronimo's quality of life. Jeronimo's mother expresses her gratitude for the support, saying, "I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every person who has supported my son. Your generous gesture goes far beyond material help; it is a sign of selfless love, faith in dreams, and light at a time when we urgently needed it. I cannot thank you enough. This surgery, which we have waited so long for, represents a great blessing and new hope for Jeronimo's health. After receiving this treatment, what we most desire is his speedy recovery, well-being, and a full life. We trust that God will bless you abundantly for this beautiful work and for the positive impact you have had on our lives."

$1,167raised
Fully funded

Charles is a 36-year-old father of four from Kenya. Before his illness, Charles operated a small shop selling sausages. Since his injury, he has been unable to run the business effectively, and his wife has taken over the running of the shop to support the family. The income from the business barely meets their basic needs, making it difficult to raise funds for the required surgery. Charles was at his shop in July 2025 when demonstrations broke out, and a crowd raided the building where his shop was located. In an attempt to escape, he was forced to jump from the first floor, landing badly, and severely injuring his right leg. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he underwent a fracture repair surgery. Unfortunately, the wound failed to heal properly. When Charles went to AIC Kijabe Hospital in September 2025, an examination revealed that the wound was severely infected. The metal nail that had been inserted during the initial surgery had to be removed to allow the infection to clear. Since then, Charles has been attending regular follow-up visits for wound cleaning and dressing. During a clinic visit in February 2026, he was finally cleared to undergo another ORIF surgery to stabilize his leg and allow proper healing. Unfortunately, his insurance coverage had already been exhausted and could not cover the required procedure. Charles continues to live in pain. He moves with the help of crutches, and at times the pain becomes unbearable, forcing him to rely on pain medication for relief. He is now reaching out for support so he can undergo surgery and finally heal. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On March 5th, Charles will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again and go back to being a provider for his family Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Charles says, “Sometimes my leg swells so much, that it becomes difficult to move, even with crutches.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

11-year-old Allan lives in Kenya with his mother and older brother. His mother, who is a single parent, works as a tailor to support her family. Two years ago, Allan was playing with friends at school, when he tripped. By the next day, his leg was swollen and painful, and he was unable to walk. His mother quickly took him to the nearest dispensary, where he received an injection, but the pain didn't go away. The swelling continued to get worse. Allan was then taken to a district hospital, where an X-ray showed damage to the soft tissue in his leg. He was given medication, but the swelling and pain got even worse, and he began having trouble breathing. Allan was then admitted in another hospital for a week, where he was put on oxygen. He still couldn’t walk, and further scans revealed that he had broken bones. Allan was referred to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, where he had a fracture repair surgery in April 2023, to repair the damage. This was followed by another surgery in February 2024 to remove the plates from the first surgery, and to replace them with new ones that would better hold his bones together. Allan was to undergo a bone transport surgery towards the end of 2024, but his wound was severely infected, so he had to undergo several procedures in 2025 to clean and close up his wound, before he could proceed with the bone transport. His wound has been healing well, and he is now set to undergo bone transport surgery. Unfortunately, Allan's national health insurance is now depleted, due to the multiple surgeries. The income that Allan's mother earns barely covers the basic needs for her elder son, who is in high school, and Allan, who has required frequent medical care after his injury. She has been relying on the kindness of others to help with hospital bills, but has not been able to raise enough money for Allan’s upcoming surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $1,500 to cover the cost of Allan's surgery, which is scheduled to take place on February 4th, at AIC Kijabe Hospital. Allan is looking forward to a time when he will be fully recovered, and can return to school. He said: “My friends go to school, but I stay at home because of my leg injury. I am supposed to be in Grade 7, but for now, I stay at home.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

James is a 19-year-old final-year secondary school student from Kenya, hardworking and deeply grounded in his faith. Outside school, he serves faithfully at his church, offering his time to clean and help maintain the premises. On 3rd January 2026, James and his cousin went to church to clean and prepare it for the service that was to take place the following day. After finishing their work, they began walking back home. Traffic was heavy, and before crossing the road, James paused to make sure it was safe. As he started walking across the road, a matatu, which was overtaking recklessly using the pedestrian path, hit him. The vehicle did not stop. It sped off, leaving James lying injured on the road. His cousin rushed to him and called for help. With the support of well-wishers, a kind passerby offered to bring them to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital. At the emergency unit, doctors found that James had suffered a fracture to his left leg, along with serious bruising to his right hand. He is in severe pain and still in shock. The medical team has advised that he urgently needs surgery: a left tibia debridement and an ORIF (open reduction and internal fixation). James’ parents, who are his only source of support, have been unable to raise the required hospital bill since the accident. James was expected to return to school on 7th January after the holidays, but due to the accident and his current condition, this will not be possible. The accident happened suddenly, and they have no means to meet the medical costs. Despite everything, James continues to trust that with proper treatment, he will heal, return to school and complete his studies. It is difficult for him to walk and he is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On January 5th, James will undergo a fracture repair procedure at AIC Kijabe Hospital. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. “I am in so much pain right now, and it feels like my life has come to a standstill. I won’t be able to report back to school at the moment, but I believe all will be well,” James shares.

$1,500raised
Fully funded