Daniel & Sue OdioUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Daniel's Story

Daniel joined Watsi on November 5th, 2014. Nine years ago, Daniel joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Daniel's most recent donation traveled 8,500 miles to support Godfrey, a manual labourer from Kenya, to fund a fracture repair on his right leg.

Impact

Daniel has funded healthcare for 59 patients in 11 countries.

Patients funded by Daniel

Benard is a 35-year-old man from Kiambu County in Kenya. He works as a laborer, off-loading trucks carrying construction materials. His wife is a housemaker and together they have three children aged 10 years, 9 years and 3 months old. In December 2020, Benard slipped and fell from a raised water tank he was inspecting, fracturing his right tibia and fibula. He was taken to a clinic in the neighbourhood, where first aid was administered. Afterwards, Benard went to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center Nazareth Hospital for an x-ray, which confirmed a fracture of his right tibia and fibula close to his ankle joint. Surgeons recommend he undergoes a fracture repair surgery. If not treated, Benard’s fracture could heal while misaligned or be malunited, resulting in limited use of his right limb, deformity, and infection. However, this procedure is costly for Benard and his family. He is the sole breadwinner of the family, and does not have savings to pay for his care. He appeals for financial support. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On January 5th, Benard will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. The surgery will ease his pain, allow him to recover, and help him to be able to walk with ease again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. Benard shared, “My head is spinning because I do not know what would happen to my family if I was unable to go to work due to my injury. I would really appreciate help with the surgery so that I can continue providing for my family.”

$1,049raised
Fully funded

Haruna is a 10-year-old student from Tanzania. Haruna is the fourth born child in a family of five children. He is currently in Class Five, and his best subjects are mathematics and social studies. Haruna is a big lover of football, which his father says he picked at an early age. Unfortunately, a few months ago, his father has had to stop him from playing football due to the level of deformity in his legs and risk of getting a fracture. Haruna was diagnosed with genu varus. His legs bow outwards at the knee so that they do not touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, he has difficulty walking for a distance and he is no longer able to play football, the sport he loves. The procedure Haruna needs is costly for his family. Haruna's parents are small-scale farmers of maize, beans and tobacco. They are able to get their food from the harvest of maize and vegetable and some little money from selling tobacco harvest. Now, they are appealing for financial support for Haruna's cost of care. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Haruna. The procedure is scheduled to take place on December 3rd. Treatment will hopefully restore Haruna's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Haruna shared, “I would like to be able to walk well and play like my friends. Please help me get this treatment."

$880raised
Fully funded

Israel is a baby boy from Tanzania and the last-born in a family of two children. His mother delivered him at home with the help of midwives and soon noticed her son's left foot was not straight. She was scared to tell her husband or her parents-in-law as she was scared they might accuse her of bringing disability into their family. It took her almost two months to be able to summon up the courage and inform her husband about their son's condition. Her husband was understanding and they decide to seek a doctor's advice at a local hospital near their village. They were informed that the condition was treatable but they would have to be referred to the district hospital. They inquired on the cost of the treatment but the cost turned out to be too expensive for them to afford. Thus they were forced to return home hoping they would be able to raise the money one day and have their son's foot corrected. Both parents depend on small-scale farming for their living, which they shared is barely enough to meet their basic needs. They heard about the Plaster House from a relative and decide to try seeking help. The medical team shared that Israel has clubfoot of his left foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, will perform clubfoot repair surgery on September 2nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund Israel's clubfoot repair. After treatment, when he grows up, he will be able to walk easily. Israel’s mother says, “I am scared my son would be discriminated if he does not have this condition corrected. Please help us.”

$935raised
Fully funded

Suliman is an 11-month baby who needs surgery in Ethiopia. His family came from the Gambia in August 2019 in need of medical care. His mom gave birth to Suliman when she was 20 years old. She dropped out of school when she was in Grade 8 because her mom couldn’t afford to send her to school anymore. Suliman has multiple birth defects including cleft lip, club foot, tongue-tie, fused finger, and bilateral undescended testicles. His mom tried to get her baby treated in the Gambia but the hospitals referred them to another country that can better provide the surgery. Since the family could not afford to get the child the surgery they communicated to different organizations and were able to come to Ethiopia. Suliman has now finished all his surgeries except undescended testicles and fused fingers. Suliman was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Suliman has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Suliman will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on May 5th. AMHF is requesting $1,021 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. "I see good hope for him once he finishes his last operation. Because he will be free of all the potential deformities and disabilities and he can live like a normal person. He can live as healthy as others free from the risk of other future complications. And I believe he will go to school and help himself well," Suliman's mom says.

$1,021raised
Fully funded