Be strong ,be hope,be smile

United States
Maolin's Story

Maolin joined Watsi on November 19th, 2015. Eleven years ago, Maolin joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Maolin's most recent donation traveled 1,900 miles to support Neisha, a preschooler from Haiti, to fund treatment leading up to, and following heart surgery.

Impact

Maolin has funded healthcare for 128 patients in 15 countries.

Patients funded by Maolin

James is a 13-year-old boy from Kenya. When our medical partner met James's mother, worry etched across her face as she struggled to hold back tears while sharing their experience. Born in 2012, James had a wonderful childhood. However, in 2021, something happened that changed James's life completely as they knew it. Towards the end of September, James started experiencing excruciating stomach pain. His condition was so bad, such that James was unable to sleep, and would throw up whenever he ate. His parents took him to a nearby hospital for medical assistance. No diagnosis was made; instead, they were sent back home with a prescription for painkillers and antibiotics. They left the hospital, hopeful that their son would recover. True enough, James got better, and soon enough, they forgot their worries. A few months later, however, the pain was back, and this time, worse than before. James's parents took him to hospital, only to be sent back home with painkillers again, but with no diagnosis. At this point, James was losing weight as well, and throwing up whenever he ate. With the help of the medication given, he got better, and an improvement in his feeding pattern was noted. This was, however, short-lived. Within a few months, the pain recurred. It's been a difficult three years for James, until his family decided to seek care at our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital (BKKH), in September 2025. At the hospital, doctors found James to be malnourished, and he was placed on nutritional care so he could be strong enough to handle treatment. He was in hospital for a month before a laparotomy surgery was scheduled. The successful surgery that followed restored hope back into the lives of his family. Presently, James is scheduled for a follow up colostomy closure surgery to restore bowel function and prevent future complications. After a long journey of James's treatment, his family is unable to raise funds for his upcoming treatment. James's father works informal jobs to sustain the family, while his mother takes care of the family. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,020 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for James. The surgery is scheduled to take place on March 11th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live a healthier life. James's mother says, "My son is going through so much pain, seeing him like that breaks my heart. As his mother, I wish I could take the burden of pain off his body. However, I am hopeful that with your help, this condition will be a thing of the past very soon."

$1,020raised
Fully funded

Henry is 41 years old and a father of two from Malawi. Before his illness, he worked full-time as a security guard at a local church near his home in rural Lilongwe. Since the operation, he has been unable to resume work and now depends largely on his wife, who has also been unable to engage in farming because they spend most of their time in and out of hospitals. As a result, their children have also suffered the impact of this financial and emotional strain. One year ago, Henry began to experience troubling symptoms, including severe abdominal pain, difficulty standing upright, blurred vision, and blood in his urine due to intestinal perforation following a motorbike accident. He underwent surgery where a stoma was created to divert intestinal waste while his intestines healed. Henry has lived with this stoma for over a year, enduring both physical and emotional challenges. Fortunately, his wound has now healed, and he is ready for a reversal procedure to restore normal intestinal function, but he needs financial support. Physicians need to perform a laparotomy to open up the abdominal cavity to treat his condition. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,244 to fund Henry's surgery. On November 11th, he will undergo surgery at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully greatly improve his quality of life. “My condition is unbearable; I truly need God’s intervention. I have experienced firsthand how real stigma can be,” said Henry during the assessment.

$1,244raised
Fully funded