Jennifer
Jennifer's Story

Jennifer joined Watsi on September 6th, 2014. Jennifer's most recent donation traveled 8,300 miles to support Nwe Ni, a 43-year-old woman from Burma, to fund a thyroidectomy.

Impact

Jennifer has funded healthcare for 22 patients in 7 countries.

Patients funded by Jennifer

Aziza is 14-year-old girl and the second born child in a family of three children. She has just completed her class seven exams and looks forward to joining secondary school once the national examination results are out. She would love to be a teacher when she grows up. Aziza was involved in a fire accident when she was just three years old and she had not been able to use her left hand to hold things or be able to participate in many home chores. Aziza had surgery in February 2020 to release the burn contracture on her hand, which went a long way to enable her to use her hand more. Now, Aziza also needs an amputation of the small finger of her left hand. Her small finger has significant flexion contracture with severe damage to the joint capsules. Aziza is being raised by one of her aunts while her other siblings are being raised by other relatives after their mother passed away three years ago. Their father is not reliable in taking care of the children, and that’s when relatives decided to come in to help since they would miss meals and they didn’t have anyone to wash their clothes or provide them with other needs. Aziza’s aunt has three children of her own and including Aziza she has a total of four children. Aziza’s aunt is a stay at home wife while the husband sells bicycle spare parts and repairs them for a living. The income is not much but just enough to help support the family. Aziza says, “I am scared to lose a part of my hand but I agree with the surgeons that it is necessary and I hope it will help me be able to use my hand more. Please help me get this treatment.”

$1,088raised
Fully funded

Arnold is a 40-year-old married man with three children; aged 15, 10, and 3. He is a truck driver and his wife helps take care of their family and home. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, his work has decreased. Also, his driving license is currently expired which means that he cannot work as a truck driver until he's able to renew the license. Since last year, Arnold has had a chronic cough. He sought medical care and tested negative for Tuberculosis more than four times; he was frequently put on antibiotics. Late last year, he started noticing a protruding swelling on his neck along with his persistent cough. He again sought medical attention from a health center and was referred to the public hospital. At the hospital, they suspected that he had a goiter and was referred to Partners in Hope (PIH) for thyroid tests since the other facility had no reagents for these tests. At PiH, Arnold was diagnosed with goiter. Doctors recommend that he has his thyroid removed in a procedure called thyroidectomy. A goiter is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland; a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck. Although goiters are usually painless, a large goiter can cause a cough, irritation and may also cause difficulty in swallowing and breathing. Arnold is afraid that his thyroid might grow bigger if he does not have it removed. It is expected that after surgery, the symptoms will heal and his neck will return to its normal size. Arnold appeals for financial assistance as he is not financially able to pay for the surgery. Arnold says, "My worry is that the goiter might grow bigger. I hope to get treatment before the condition worsens."

$1,015raised
Fully funded

Babikyengyire is the mother of one child who is 7 years old and in first grade at primary school. Her husband died in an accident in 2012. She later managed to buy a piece of land and constructed a three-room semi-permanent house for shelter. A long time ago, in 1989, she thought she was gaining weight with an expanded neck because it was painless. She got married in 2009 and when she got pregnant in 2012, she developed neck pains especially after walking long distances. After delivery, the swelling increased as well as her pain. She is a member of the church choir, but she could no longer sing because it was too painful. Currently, she feels much pain when she wears a mask due to the ongoing COVID-19 regulations in the country. She is hopeful to find a solution from Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center Rushoroza Hospital. At Rushoroza, she presented with long-standing history of bi-nodular neck swelling. Thyrotoxicosis, airway obstruction, difficulty in breathing could be the end result if not treated through a thyroidectomy. Babikyengyire is a businesswoman who carries clothes around town to her customers, though she shared that she is finding it challenging now due to her condition. She feels uncomfortable being in public because of her neck swelling. She seeks financial support for her surgery because her small business can hardly raise a fraction of the total surgery charges. Babikyengyire shared, “I hope for a successful surgery. After the surgery, I believe that I will be able to travel long distances that will help me reach out to more customers and improve my business.”

$307raised
Fully funded