Xavier Antoviaque
Xavier's Story

Xavier joined Watsi on July 8th, 2015. 12 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Xavier's most recent donation supported Phal, a farmer from Cambodia, to treat his osteoarthritis.

Impact

Xavier has funded healthcare for 15 patients in 10 countries.

Patients funded by Xavier

“Patrick likes to be alone most of the time," says Patrick's mother. "We hope once he is able to walk properly he will be more active and social." Patrick is a quiet and shy six-year-old boy from Tanzania. He likes coloring picture books and playing with cars. He is the first-born in a family of three children. Patrick was born with bilateral clubfoot, a condition where the feet are twisted inwards. As a result, Patrick had trouble walking until unusually late in life; he was crawling for so long that he now has chronic sores on his knees. Patrick now walks on the outside parts of his feet instead of on the soles, which has seriously affected his gait. Walking—let alone running, or participating in other playtime activities that children his age do—is painful and slow for him. Fortunately, there is a tried and true surgical solution for clubfoot. But Patrick’s parents cannot afford the procedure. The little money that Patrick’s parents earn as farmers is not enough to cover their daily expenses as well as the cost of corrective surgery which Patrick needs. But we can change that. For $1,160, doctors at Arusha Lutcheran Medical Centre will perform the operation that Patrick needs, correcting the abnormal connective tissues in his feet. This funding will also cover the cast, foot braces, and four-month stay at a recuperation center that will ensure Patrick recovers safely. When he’s healed from his procedure, Patrick will be able to walk normally, on the soles of his feet, for the first time in his life. This will mean a more physically comfortable life for him, and -- as his mother hopes -- a more social one.

$1,160raised
Fully funded

Dickson is a 75-year-old father and grandfather who farms tobacco in Malawi. He came to our medical partner, World Altering Medicine (WAM), seeking treatment for an enlarged prostate gland. “Dickson's enlarged prostate has led to urinary incontinence, an embarrassing and inconvenient symptom,” WAM tells us. “He is occasionally unable to go to work in the garden due to his condition.” The prostate gland surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body. An enlarged prostate—known as benign prostatic hyperplasia—is a common condition in older men due to hormonal changes. As the prostate gets larger, it squeezes the urethra, causing problems with urination. Typical symptoms include difficulty starting or stopping urination, weak urine streams, and inability to empty the bladder. For $742, Dickson will undergo surgery—transurethral resection of the prostate—in which doctors insert an instrument into the urethra to remove the part of his prostate that is blocking urine flow. After surgery, a catheter will be inserted temporarily to remove urine from the bladder. When the urine is free of blood or blood clots, the catheter will be removed, and Dickson can urinate on his own. Funding for Dickson also pays for a three-night hospital stay, lab tests, medicine, and transportation to and from the hospital for him and two caregivers. “Following surgery,” says WAM, “Dickson is expected to have his catheter removed and make a full recovery.”

$742raised
Fully funded

Meet Jose, a three-year-old boy from Guatemala. Jose was adopted when he was a baby by his loving adoptive parents. “Norma, Jose’s adopted mother, was married for years but could never have kids since she had to have a hysterectomy when she was a teenager," shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). "Norma was thrilled to be able to take Jose in, and has been very happy with him.” Over time though, Norma began to notice that Jose was not developing at the same rate as other children. “Jose is suffering from severe developmental delays and seizures due to congenital hydrocephalus. He was diagnosed when he was one-year-old when he first started to have seizures, but his family has not been able to afford therapy or medications for him,” WK tells us. As of now, Jose can move his hands and hold a ball over his head, but he is having trouble sleeping and has seizures almost everyday. “Since Jose needs constant supervision, his mom has not been able to work, which makes it hard for their family to afford basic necessities,” shares WK. Treatment for Jose costs $1,385, which consists of a full medical workup to clarify his diagnosis, medications for his seizures, intensive physical therapy, and social support for the family. WK shares that these efforts will "help lessen the economic stress that the family has been under with his condition, since all imaging, medications, physical therapy, and medical visits will be included free of charge for them. This treatment will give Jose the chance to become much more independent, mobile, and will decrease the frequency of his seizures…helping Jose reach his full potential, and help to work through the stigma of his developmental delay.” Jose’s mother says that Jose is very smart and she cannot wait for him to start therapy. "My dream is to see my son walk and run," says his mother.

$1,385raised
Fully funded

Mary is a 28-year-old wife and mother who lives in Kenya. She came to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), with leg pain and difficulty walking. “Three days ago, Mary was walking when she fell and hit her leg,” explains AMHF. “She was brought to the hospital and diagnosed with a fracture of the patella.” The patella, more commonly known as the kneecap, is a small, movable bone at the front of the knee. It acts as a shield for the knee joint and connects muscles from the thigh to the lower leg. Falling directly onto the knee, as Mary did, is a common cause of patellar fractures. “If not treated,” AMHF continues, “Mary will continue to have pain, and treatment delay may make it impossible for the bone to unite.” Treatment for Mary requires a surgical procedure known as open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) to reposition and set the broken patella so that it can heal properly. $1,125 in funding covers the cost of surgery, a two-week hospital stay, and 10 days of physiotherapy. “We expect that an ORIF for Mary will enable her to heal and walk normally,” reports AMHF. Mary’s husband works as a day laborer at construction sites to support the couple and their three children. “Now he has to stay at home because of our small baby, and soon we may not have anything to eat,” Mary shares anxiously. “I hope Watsi will help me so that I can be well soon to go and assist him.” Let’s make this surgery happen for Mary!

$1,125raised
Fully funded