Andra Fischgrund
Andra's Story

Andra joined Watsi on April 15th, 2013. 71 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Andra's most recent donation traveled 8,200 miles to support Maxensia, a 42-year-old retailer from Uganda, to fund a thyroidectomy.

Impact

Andra has funded healthcare for 79 patients in 12 countries.

Patients funded by Andra

Maxensia is a mother of six who runs her family’s small retail shop while her husband is a tailor. Their firstborn is 22-years-old and she also has twins and two students in the 11th and fourth grades. Maxensia worries that her family is struggling to raise school fees for their children. Three years ago, Maxensia began to experience troubling symptoms, including a painless neck swelling that started after a flu-like illness. Later, the swelling became movable and she developed pains while swallowing. The swelling continued to increase in size but she never visited any medical facility for treatment. Currently, she can't bend down easily, especially while farming, and she can't carry heavy loads on her head either. Maxensia also shared that she experiences airway obstruction, especially during the cold season. Maxensia visited our medical partner's care center, Rushoroza Hospital, to seek medical attention. She was diagnosed with a non-toxic goiter and the surgeon recommends she have a thyroidectomy. Unfortunately, her family cannot afford the surgery cost, but she urgently needs the surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Maxensia receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on October 5th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help to raise money. Maxensia says, “I hope to be considered for treatment because my family and I cannot afford this surgery on our own. I hope to look and live a normal life again so that I may comfortably proceed with my day-to-day duties and further develop my family.”

$333raised
Fully funded

Fulgence is a 3-year-old boy and the fifth born child in a family of six children. Fulgence is a charming, friendly, and playful child. His parents are small scale farmers who grow maize, vegetables, and sunflowers. They depend entirely on what they harvest for their food and daily living. In 2019, Fulgence dipped his right hand in a pot of hot cooking oil, sustaining severe burns on his palm. His mother had been making mandazi, a morning snack, and left the hot oil unattended in a different room after she was done. Due to the family's income, Fulgence's parents were only able to take him to a local dispensary for treatment, where he had the burn dressed and continued with home treatments afterwards. His wounds eventually healed with contractures, which limit him from holding items comfortably. When Fulgence's mother heard about the plastic surgeons working at our medical partner's care center, she decided to seek treatment help for her son. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Fulgence receive treatment. On March 2nd, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery, which will help him to be able to use his right palm with ease. Now, he needs help to fund this $639 procedure. Fulgence’s mother shared, “The Watsi program has been of great help to me and my family through the funding of my daughter’s treatment cost, which we couldn’t afford. I am kindly asking for help for my son as well who is unable to hold things using his right hand. Please help him.”

$639raised
Fully funded