Colin Harvey
Colin's Story

Colin joined Watsi on December 4th, 2015. 112 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Colin's most recent donation traveled 8,100 miles to support Augustine, a teenage boy from Kenya, for surgery to remove his brain tumor.

Impact

Colin has funded healthcare for 2 patients in 1 country.

Patients funded by Colin

Two years ago, Augustine was kicked by a donkey on the head as he was preparing to go fetch water at a long distance from their home in Kenya. He was immediately taken to the hospital. A scan was later to reveal that Augustine had some of the veins in his head blocked. Drugs were administered as his parents could not afford a more specialized treatment. All seemed well up until seven months ago when Augustine began complaining of headaches and blurred vision. He was referred to an eye clinic where a second scan revealed that Augustine had a growth in the brain. A surgery was required the soonest possible. A shunt was administered in the local hospital they went to, to reduce the increased intracranial pressure, but that did not help the situation as Augustine's sight was deteriorating fast. A friend recommended that they visit Bethany Kids, a Watsi partner hospital, for specialized treatment. Augustine is 14 years old, and is experiencing progressive visual loss, persistent headaches, vomiting and gait walking abnormalities. If not treated, Augustine is at high risk of increased intra-cranial pressure, which is likely to cause brain damage or even death. He will continue to have persistent headaches and not be able to resume schooling. Augustine is the last born in a family of five children. He is calm and collected and it is not until you move around that you notice he cannot see you. Augustine was not born blind, he has had the pleasure of seeing much and hopes that one day he will regain his sight. Augustine is meant to be in primary school class eight but he is way behind in school due to absenteeism. He aspires to be a doctor, a dream which he still has. Augustine’s parents are subsistence farmers and they sell very little of their produce which brings them a minimal income. They live in a two roomed house in Eastern Kenya. They have exhausted their savings, but they are however hopeful that they are at the right place and that their son will be well. If treated, Augustine will be relieved from risks associated with high intra-cranial pressure like brain damage or even death. Augustine will be free from the headaches, gait abnormalities and may possibly have his vision restored and have a longer and better quality of life. Augustine will also resume school and follow his dream of becoming a doctor.

$1,260raised
Fully funded

Two-month-old Anthony lives with his parents and three older siblings in a one-room house in Kenya. “Anthony was born with a head that was not proportional to his body in size,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “Anthony’s head has been progressively increasing in size.” Anthony’s increasing head size is the result of hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an accumulation of fluid in the brain as a result of infection, trauma, malformation of the central nervous system, or genetic defect. AMHF continues, “Anthony is at a risk of increased intracranial pressure, which may result in brain damage if not treated.” Treatment for Anthony is a shunt to drain the excess fluid from his brain. Doctors insert the shunt into the brain and connect it to a tube that runs under the skin and empties into the abdomen, where the excess fluid can be resorbed by the body. The procedure “will reduce the risk of Anthony suffering brain damage,” says AMHF. Anthony’s father works as a welder, and the family runs a small-scale farm on their ancestral land. Despite their hard work, they do not earn enough money to pay for the surgery that Anthony needs. For $615, Anthony will undergo surgery and spend five days in the hospital as he recovers. Funding also covers the costs of imaging, blood work, and medicine. “If there is anything I could do, I would not hesitate so as to eliminate whatever he is undergoing,” shares Anthony’s mother. “My hope is that someday he will be well.”

$615raised
Fully funded