Matthew's Story

Matthew joined Watsi on November 4th, 2015. Eleven years ago, Matthew joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Matthew's most recent donation supported Gabriel, a six-year-old boy from Kenya, to fund hearing aids.

Impact

Matthew has funded healthcare for 127 patients in 14 countries.

Patients funded by Matthew

Gabriel is a six-year-old boy from Kenya who enjoys playing and learning new things. His father is a construction worker, but his income is not always steady, and there are times when it is difficult for him to provide even the basic needs of the family. His mother is a homemaker and depends on her husband’s income to support the household. Gabriel has struggled with his hearing since birth and has not been able to develop speech like other kids his age. His parents first became concerned when they noticed that he did not respond whenever they called his name. As Gabriel grew older, his difficulties became more noticeable, especially when he started school. He struggled to understand his teachers and could not communicate easily with his classmates. While other children followed lessons, interacted with one another, and participated in classroom activities, Gabriel found himself struggling to understand what was being taught. Doctors have recommended hearing aids to help him access sound and support the development of the communication skills he has been missing. For his family, this brought new hope that Gabriel could finally have an opportunity to hear and communicate with the people around him. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) can help. Gabriel is scheduled to be fitted with hearing aids on October 2nd. He and his family need your help in raising $1,171 to fund the devices and his care. Hearing aids could help Gabriel build confidence and reduce the isolation he has experienced for much of his young life. "Seeing my son isolate himself from others pains me deeply. I just want him to hear, communicate, and interact with other children,” Gabriel’s dad shared.

$629raised
$542to go

Zin is a 36-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his wife, one daughter, and two sons in Mae Sot, Tak Province, Thailand. He works as a part-time teacher in Mae Sot, while his wife is a homemaker. Zin's daughter and one son attend school, while the youngest son is too young to attend school. Unfortunately, Zin had to stop working in June 2026 because of his health issues. For their basic healthcare, the family usually visits Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) in Mae Sot, which provides free healthcare services. Zin was diagnosed with a heart condition that requires valve replacement. Heart valves control the flow of blood between chambers, but certain conditions may narrow the heart valve or cause the blood to flow backwards. Normal valve function is necessary to prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Currently, Zin is still suffering from breathlessness on exertion and severe shortness of breath that wakes him after falling asleep. He mentioned that since his last visit to Mae Sot Hospital, his symptoms have become more severe. He can only walk a short distance and cannot sleep at night because of the breathlessness. Because of his health condition and inability to work, the family is facing financial difficulties, along with emotional stress and worry. After his surgery, follow-up visits, and full recovery, Zin plans to find a job to support his family’s daily expenses and continue living with his family. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a heart valve replacement for Zin. The treatment is scheduled to take place on September 1st at our medical partner's care center, Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital, and once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Zin expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you so much indeed to the organisation [BCMF] and the donors for your willingness and kindness in assisting with my surgery costs. I cannot fully describe in words how happy and thankful I am that I now have the opportunity to undergo surgery, which I could not even dream of without your support. I wish all of you good health, long lives, and great prosperity.”

$956raised
$544to go

Ree is an 18-year-old young woman from Burma. She lives in Mae Ramat District, Tak Province, Thailand, with her mother, father, younger brother, husband, and son. She is a homemaker and looks after her one-year-old son. Her younger brother is a student. Her mother, father, and husband are subsistence farmers. When work is slow at the farm, they also work as day labourers. On 28th February 2026, Ree, her husband, and her son were driving back home from the market in the evening on a motorbike. Suddenly, they were hit from behind by a drunk driver, and all three of them fell from the bike onto the left side of the road. Nah suffered road rash on her face and leg, and realized that she could not stand up. Her son’s head was bruised and swollen, and on the left side of her husband’s body, there was also heavy bruising. An ambulance arrived on scene and took Nah to a nearby hospital. The doctor explained that her left ankle was fractured, requiring surgery. She was referred to our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Ree will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for March 7th and Ree needs to raise $1,500 to fund her procedure and care. This procedure will help Ree be able to walk and go back home to take care of her son, and she will no longer be in pain after treatment. Ree said, “I don’t even know what to say, but I feel sad. I have no idea where to look for funding for my treatment. I cannot walk and have to depend on my father for everything, and I miss my son at home.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Leila is a 63-year-old woman from the valleys of Baringo County from Kenya. Together with her husband, she has raised six children through small-scale farming, depending on unpredictable harvests to provide food and school fees. Their income has never been stable, but their determination to educate their children has never wavered. Her firstborn son recently graduated with a Bachelor of Education in Special Needs Education and is still searching for employment. Her second-born daughter is married and lives away from home. The remaining children are still in school, each carrying hopes and dreams that depend heavily on their parents’ support. Leila is also a proud grandmother of two. In addition to farming, Leila once worked as a housekeeper in her neighbourhood to supplement the family’s income. However, age and increasing responsibilities forced her to stop. Even so, she continued to play a central role in sustaining her household. Three years ago, tragedy struck. While walking, she slipped and sustained an open fracture of her leg. She received treatment elsewhere and was placed in a cast. During follow-up visits, she was reassured that the bone was healing well and that she would soon walk independently again. But her pain never truly subsided. Instead of healing completely, she developed persistent drainage at the fracture site. Despite daily wound care, the wound never closed. She continued walking in pain, enduring discomfort so she could still care for her family. Two weeks ago, she fell again and refractured the same site. She noticed brittle, small bone fragments coming out through the wound, an alarming sign that something was deeply wrong. She was rushed to the hospital, where she underwent pain management and an emergency surgical washout. Realizing her condition required more specialised care, she chose to self-refer to AIC Kapsowar Hospital for further management. Upon arrival, investigations including X-rays and laboratory tests confirmed a diagnosis of chronic osteomyelitis, a long-standing bone infection. She was admitted and started on intravenous antibiotics. She underwent surgical washout, debridement, and sequestrectomy to remove infected and dead bone tissue, along with placement of an antibiotic spacer to help clear the infection. Her recovery journey has now begun. In collaboration with the plastic surgery team, she is planned to undergo a flap procedure to provide proper soft tissue coverage, promote healing, and ultimately restore her limb function. The orthopaedic team will also place an antibiotic spacer to ensure she is completely free of infection. Leila has registered with SHA and submitted multiple times in pursuit of support. However, the process has been challenging, and she urgently requires financial assistance to undergo this life-changing surgery. We humbly ask for your support to help Leila access the surgery she desperately needs, so that the wound can close without complications. It is difficult for her to walk, and she is in pain. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Leila receive treatment. On March 2nd, surgeons at their care center will perform a contracture release surgery. This surgery is crucial; it offers her the best chance at complete recovery, relief from chronic pain, and the ability to walk independently again. Now, AMH is requesting $1,239 to fund Leila's procedure. Leila says, "I came to Kapsowar with faith that I will be able to go home a better person with healing in Jesus' name. I have a family that is dependent on me, and it hurts as a mother being far away from home."

$1,239raised
Fully funded