Ryan macyUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER

Ryan's Story

Ryan joined Watsi on September 4th, 2019. Seven years ago, Ryan joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Ryan's most recent donation supported Moo, a 58-year-old woman from Burma, to fund fracture repair surgery.

Impact

Ryan has funded healthcare for 75 patients in 12 countries.

Patients funded by Ryan

Moo is a 58-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her two daughters in Mae Sot, Tak Province, Thailand. They moved to Thailand because there was a military airstrike in her village in 2023. In late July, while Moo was collecting vegetables, she fell and broke her left wrist. Due to financial challenges, she did not go to the hospital right away. She cannot grab or squeeze things. She cannot cook or do her own laundry. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Moo will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for October 2nd and will cost $1,500. This procedure will be able to help Moo be able to do her daily tasks again. Moo said, “Only my daughter works, and we depend on her. Her income is just enough to cover daily needs. We do not have extra money to save. When the accident happened, I decided not to get treatment at hospital because I think it will cost a lot and we do not have money. When I find out the cost of the treatment, I was shocked. I have never imaging having that much amount of money. I feel like I am a burden to my children and those who help me with the treatment cost. I asked not to get surgery, but the doctor told me that, if I do not do surgery, my hand cannot grab things. I still want to work and help around with the housework. Thank you so much for supporting with the treatment cost."

$994raised
$506to go

Hser is a 43-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her two daughters and her husband in a refugee camp in Umphang District, Tak Province, Thailand. Her family is originally from Karen State, Burma, but fled to the camp due to the fighting in their homeland. In the camp, her older daughter is a teacher while her younger daughter is a student. Her husband sometimes works as agriculture day laborer outside of the camp, while she is a homemaker. In October 2025, Hser started to notice a mass on her left breast. The mass was very small, so she thought it might go away by itself. But a few weeks later, the mass was still there, prompting her to go to the clinic in the camp. She was referred to a bigger hospital, where doctors informed her she may have cancer and would need surgery to prevent the cancer from spreading. However, she did not have the financial resources to undergo surgery. In August 2026, the mass started to grow bigger and cause her pain. She visited our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital, where doctors informed her she needs to undergo a mastectomy, surgery to remove her breast. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, can help. On September 1st, Hser will undergo surgery, and she needs help raising $1,500 to help cover the cost of her procedure and care. Hser said, "When I learned that I have cancer, I started to worry - and even though I receive surgery, will I recover from it? When it started to be painful, I thought I would need surgery so that it wouldn't be painful anymore. When I heard from my daughter that there is an organization that could support me with surgery costs, I feel a bit better. If not for the support from donors, I would give up on surgery and choose to suffer, as I know my family could not afford it."

$1,018raised
$482to go

John is 44 years old and a father of five from Malawi. His oldest child will start university this year, his second child is in high school, while the younger ones are in grade school. John is a pastor at a church in his community. Six months ago, John was diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia. This causes him pain and discomfort and prevents him from performing his daily tasks. If left untreated may lead to serious incarceration and strangulation that may be fatal. Fortunately, on June 9th, John will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $575 to fund John's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. John said, "Kindly help me get better, as you have always been doing for many other needy patients. Your support will help me to concentrate on helping my family and ministry."

$113raised
$462to go

Akshay is 18 years old and lives in Palamu, Jharkhand, India. He lives with his parents and elder sister. His father is a farmer. He studied until the 8th grade. When Akshay was six months old, he fell into a traditional cooking stove and burned his right hand. The burn caused a contracture, where the skin healed tightly, and over time, his hand became restricted in movement. He has lived with this since he was a baby. The contracture on his right hand makes daily tasks difficult. At 18, with a father who farms and a family that depends on physical work, this has been a real limitation in his day-to-day life. When Akshay learned about our medical partner, G.S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital and Trauma Center, he and his mother traveled 6.5 hours to receive treatment to release the post-burn contracture of his right hand. On July 1st, specialty surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery so he can regain function and mobility in his hand. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,442 procedure. Akshay shared, "I want my hand to work properly so that I can help my family."

$981raised
$461to go

Heak is 60 years old and a hardworking rice farmer from Cambodia. She lives with her niece, who is a Grade 12 student. She is the seventh of ten siblings, all of whom are married. Her parents passed away during the Khmer Rouge era. Despite many hardships in life, she continues to support herself through rice farming. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and helping with household chores. In 2024, Heak was involved in an overturned car accident while traveling in Thailand, resulting in a severe fracture of her left femur near the knee. Although she underwent surgery to stabilize the fracture, the bone failed to heal properly and developed into a nonunion, causing ongoing pain in her left knee and leg. Heak experiences persistent pain and stiffness in her left knee, making it difficult to walk without support. The condition limits her independence, affects her ability to work in the rice fields, and makes everyday activities challenging. Fortunately, Heak learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), and sought treatment. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total knee replacement to relieve Heak of her pain and allow her to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for June 1st. Heak can contribute $100, but needs help raising $1,213 more for her procedure and care. Heak said, “I hope this treatment will help me walk without support again and live without pain. Being able to move independently would mean so much to me and allow me to return to my normal life.”

$688raised
$525to go

Ashley is a four-year-old preschooler from Haiti. She lives with her parents and one younger sister in an agricultural village in central Haiti. Her parents both work as farmers and raise animals. Ashley likes listening to music on the radio and singing in church. Ashley has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. A hole exists between two major blood vessels next to her heart. Blood leaks through this hole, leaving her weak and short of breath. Ashley will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 13th, she will undergo cardiac surgery at Hospital CEDIMAT, during which doctors will use a device on the end of a catheter to plug the hole in her heart, so that blood can no longer leak through it. Another organization, International Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $4,000 to pay for the surgery. Ashley's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to cover labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports securing travel documents for the family and travel costs for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Ashley's family overseas. Ashley's mother said: "We will be so happy when we can stop worrying so much about our daughter's health!"

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Srey Nith is a 35-year-old woman from Cambodia. She lives with her husband, who works as a laborer. They have one son who is a kindergarten student and is cared for by her parents. She is the fourth of six siblings, and all of her siblings are married and live in nearby villages. In her free time, she cleans the yard and reads literature. Thirteen years ago, Srey Nith fell from a tree while picking fruit and injured her hip. She developed avascular necrosis of her right hip, a condition where the blood supply to the ball-shaped part of the thigh bone is disrupted, leading to bone death. She has undergone several surgeries, including a right hip replacement, but she continues to suffer from chronic infections in the hip prosthesis. She experiences pain and is unable to walk without support, and cannot sit comfortably for long periods. She now seeks further treatment to regain mobility and reduce pain. Srey Nith was referred to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), by another hospital and traveled four hours to seek care. She will undergo surgery on January 23rd. She is able to contribute $12.50 toward the cost of treatment and needs help to raise $1,488 more. The costs include a special prosthesis, surgery, medications, post-operative care, and rehabilitation. Srey Nith said, “After the surgery, I want to be able to move and sit comfortably again so I can go back to my job and earn an income for my family.”

$1,488raised
Fully funded

Toe is a retired 68-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his wife, two sons, his daughter-in-law, and his grandson in the refugee camp in Sob Moei District, Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. One of Toe's sons is enrolled in school, and his daughter-in-law works as a nutritionist in a hospital in the camp. The family also receives monthly cash support from a charity at the camp. In 2022, Toe began suffering from burning and aching pain caused by an irreducible inguinal hernia. His hernia has grown larger and become increasingly painful. Now, Toe needs surgery to live more comfortably and regain his quality of life. Fortunately, on November 10th, Toe will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sariang Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,468 to fund the procedure. Toe shared, “I would like my discomfort to disappear. I cannot do whatever I want to do, and I cannot walk properly.”

$1,486raised
Fully funded

Visal is a 25-year-old former factory worker from Cambodia. He lives in Kompong Speu province with his elderly parents, who are rice farmers. He used to work in a garment factory, but has taken time off to deal with various health issues. In his free time, he enjoys watching the news and checking his social media. Three years ago, Visal had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the eardrum. For this reason, Visal experiences ear discharge, pain, tinnitus, and intermittent hearing loss. These symptoms make it difficult for him to hear what others say, affecting his communication and confidence. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On October 2nd, Visal will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in his left ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Visal can contribute $50, but needs help to raise $427 more to fund his procedure and care. Visal shared, "I hope that I can have surgery so I can hear more clearly and not have pain and symptoms anymore."

$427raised
Fully funded

Thi Ha is a 39-year-old father from Burma. He lives with his wife and son. He works as a freelance English teacher, while his wife is a homemaker, and their son attends school In 2009, Thi Ha began experiencing back pain and was diagnosed with renal stones in both kidneys, for which he underwent stone removal surgery in Burma. The symptoms recurred in 2023, and recurrent renal stones were identified in both kidneys. On January 24, 2025, with support from our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), he underwent left kidney stone removal surgery. A similar procedure is scheduled for the right kidney. Doctors recommend he undergo a procedure called percutaneous nephrolithotomy, which removes kidney stones from the body when they cannot pass on their own. BCMF is requesting $1500 to fund this procedure. The treatment is scheduled to take place on August 4th and, once completed, it will hopefully improve Thi Ha's quality of life. Thi Ha said, “Thank you so much for providing support for my treatment. It is too difficult to earn enough money for my surgery, so it means a lot for me and my family.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Leonora is a 62-year-old housewife from the Philippines. While her husband receives a small pension, and Leonora takes in laundry when she can, their daughter, a dishwasher, is the family's main provider. Four months ago, Leonora began to experience troubling symptoms, including a lump on her neck, palpitations, and mild cold symptoms. She was diagnosed with a mass on her thyroid, and she will need surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening. Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Leonora receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on June 14th, during which surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. A portion of the cost of her treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, while WSFP is raising the remaining $935 to cover the cost of Leonora's procedure and care. Leonora said, "Receiving a free operation would be a huge relief for me and my family. I am deeply grateful to the organization, and I hope that your efforts in helping the poor will continue, so that more people in need can benefit from your compassion and generosity."

$935raised
Fully funded

Savong is a 29-year-old house manager from Cambodia. He lives in Phnom Penh with his wife and 6-year-old son. He and his wife work at the house of a wealthy family, performing tasks like cleaning, gardening, and routine maintenance. At home, Savong enjoys spending time with his son and growing vegetables around the house. Ten years ago, Savong had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membranes, or eardrums, to perforate in both ears. For this reason, Savong experiences ear discharge from both ears, hearing loss, and recurrent infections. This makes him uncomfortable and has affected his ability to hear clearly during daily communication. Savong traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On May 8th, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in both ears. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforations. Savong can contribute $100 to his care, but our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, requests $814 more to fund this procedure and cover the costs of medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Savong shared, "I hope I can hear clearly and stop worrying about this problem."

$814raised
Fully funded