Jacques GerberUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Jacques' Story

Jacques joined Watsi on November 26th, 2014. Nine years ago, Jacques joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Jacques' most recent donation traveled 8,200 miles to support Khryzanelle, a mother from Philippines, to fund gallbladder removal surgery.

Impact

Jacques has funded healthcare for 110 patients in 12 countries.

Patients funded by Jacques

Originally from Burma, Cherry is a 34-year-old woman who lives with her father's cousin and her two cousins in Tak Province, Thailand. Her two cousins are students, while Cherry is a homemaker. Her father's cousin runs her own small business, selling everything from makeup to food online or through her friends. They work hard to support their family. In the beginning of 2023, Cherry began to experience troubling symptoms, including swollen neck and discomfort when swallowing food. She was diagnosed with thyroid goiter. 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. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Cherry receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on January 24th at Mae Sot General Hospital. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. She and her family need help raising $1,500 for her treatment. Cherry said, "I feel stressed about my condition. Since I heard that my family who lives in Burma have now become displaced, I have felt more stressed and I am worried about them. I want to get treatment and recover soon so that I can look for a job and support my family back home. Thank you to all the donors and the organisation Burma Children Medical Fund for being willing to help me by paying for my treatment cost."

$932raised
$568to go

Marife is a loving wife and mother from the Philippines. She previously worked as a janitor at Makati Medical Center but had to quit to give more time to her daughter, who has difficulty breathing with asthma. Marife occasionally does freelance work, but their family mostly depends on the income her husband makes as a janitor. Marife and her family reside in a Housing Relocation Site provided by the National Housing Authority. One year ago, Marife began to experience troubling symptoms, including vomiting and extreme abdominal pain. She described it as even worse pain than when she gave birth. For a year, she tried various medications and home remedies to help ease the pain, but to no avail. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Marife was diagnosed with cholelithiasis, or gallstones. If left untreated, her symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Marife is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) on October 21st. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,128 to cover the cost of Marife's surgery and care. Marife says, "This surgery will be a great help for me and my family as it will regain my confidence. I have been through depression since I first felt my symptoms. This illness sacrificed my supervision and parenting time with my daughter. I had come to the point of being hopeless but thanks to this hospital and the donors I will fight and continue my life. I hope they can help more people like me who need an operation. Thank you very much."

$571raised
$556to go

Six-year-old Tay lives with her mother, sister, and brother in a village in Shan State in Burma. Tay's mother is a teacher. When Tay was three years old, she was frequently ill with a rapid heartbeat and fingertips that would turn blue. Her mother brought her to a nearby hospital, where the doctor told them that Tay had congenital heart disease and would need to be treated in Yangon. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Tay's mother did not feel it was safe to take Tay to Yangon. When she turned five, Tay's symptoms worsened, and her mother brought her to a hospital in Yangon in August 2022. At the hospital, Tay was diagnosed with an atrial septal defect, and her mother was told that Tay would require surgery- which the family could not afford to pay for. Fortunately, Tay's aunt referred her to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, for help. Now Tay is scheduled to undergo atrial septal defect closure at Pun Hlaing Hospital on May 13th. As Tay is becoming progressively more ill- with episodes of rapid breathing and weight loss due to a lack of appetite- this procedure is critical for her health and well-being. Burma Children Medical Fund is seeking $1,500 to cover the cost of Tay's care. “When I learned that my daughter [Tay] needs surgery, I felt very sad and I cried because I cannot afford to pay for her surgery. But when I learned that the organization [BCMF] will support the cost of my daughter’s surgery, I felt very happy and thankful to all the donors and that organization. I want to see her healthy,” said Tay's mother.

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Daniel is a 10-year-old student from Ethiopia. He is in second grade and loves school. His favorite subject is English. He also loves playing football and games with friends, eating fruits and eggs with injera. He is the fifth child in the family with four older brothers. Both parents are daily laborers on a farm and get income by sharing the profit during harvest with the landowner. They use the income to feed the family and also sell some of the produce to buy other goods for the house. During the rainy season, they engage in other labor work such as chopping wood, gardening and delivery of different goods. Even though their family income is sufficient to support the basic needs of their family, it is a challenge to afford Daniel's surgery. Daniel was born with hypospadias, a congenital disease that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms. Earlier he had two surgeries with Bethany Kids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre (BKMCM). For the third surgery, he had to wait for four years. The wait made him drop out of school and has affected his mental wellbeing. Fortunately, Daniel is now scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on February 28th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Daniel's dad said “I will be happy if my son completely heals and becomes free from shame. I am eager to send him back to school.”

$1,293raised
Fully funded