Ella's Story

Ella joined Watsi on November 11th, 2014. Eight years ago, Ella joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Ella's most recent donation traveled 9,000 miles to support Chrissie, a 50-year-old single mother from Malawi, to fund hysterectomy surgery.

Impact

Ella has funded healthcare for 107 patients in 14 countries.

Patients funded by Ella

Mourine is a 9-year-old bright, social and friendly girl from Kenya. She is the firstborn of a family of two and hails from Merigi village in Bomet county. Her mother told us that she is very active while at school and at home, helping do household chores, including tending to a kitchen garden as part of her work. Mourine is passionate about studying and she told us that she aspires to become a neurosurgeon in the future! Mourine was first seen in August 2023 at our medical partner's care center (AIC Cure International Hospital) mobile clinic and scheduled to undergo serial casting. She comes from a humble background where her mother is a homemaker while her father is a farmer. Mourine has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. This condition was not noticeable at a young age and her mother came to notice it when she was 4 years old. Mourine was taken to a hospital and the family were told that her foot needed to be corrected. They stayed home for quite sometime until they heard about AIC Cure mobile clinic and upon review, she was scheduled to undergo treatment. Currently Mourine walks with discomfort, is not flexible, and has pain when walking for a long distance. Fortunately, Mourine's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on January 30th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Mourine's clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to walk comfortably like other children, she will be able to play with her peers since there will be no pain and she will continue with her education without any challenge. She has a bright future ahead. Mourine said: "I'm looking forward to healing and walking comfortably to avoid people always asking me what is wrong with my foot."

$1,286raised
Fully funded

Remedan is a baby from Ethiopia. He is a sweet baby boy who is the fourth child to his parents, and he loves to play with balloons and squeeze toys. He has started weaning, and he loves Plumpy Nut, a nutrition supplement donated by the Ethiopian government for underweight and malnourished children. Since he got the donation, his weight has improved and is now in an expected range which is a relief for his parents. Remedan's dad is a small-scale farmer and dropped out of school in grade seven. He had to sell his land when he went to the city for treatment for his son. Remedan's mom, who is a homemaker, heard about our medical partner BKMCM from a neighbor who lived nearby and who got her child treatment at BKMCM. She traveled all the way to the hospital from her home town with her dad and they now stay in the Missionaries of Charity for accommodation since they can’t afford hotels and transport costs. Remedan developed a bowel obstruction and had an emergency colostomy. He has had multiple issues with his colostomy and associated complications. His family shared that they have suffered throughout the entire process but are hopeful that things will improve. Remedan's condition means he cannot make a stool. His mom and dad are very sad and worried about their son. Remedan still requires additional surgery to complete his treatment; his family is appealing for financial support. Remedan's surgery is scheduled for October 31st and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, requests $1,500 to cover the cost of Remedan's procedure and care. After his recovery, Remedan will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing severe health complications in the future. His mom said, "I hope my child will get treatment, and I hope he will heal well after the treatment."

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Obadiah is a 26-year-old man from Kenya. He is the youngest in his family of three children. His mother passed away seven years ago due to cancer. Obadiah lives with his father and works as a casual laborer to support his father, who is in his old age. However, since Obadiah’s injury, it has been painful for him to work, and they have had a relative come and stay with them. Obadiah needs surgery to heal and is requesting assistance with his medical costs. Obadiah fell and sustained a fracture to his arm last year. At the time, he went to a hospital, received a splint, and underwent a plate fixation procedure. He has continued to experience persistent pain for the last year and cannot use his hand. Obadiah recently received an X-ray, which revealed that the fracture has not united and one of the screws has moved out of place so that the plate is no longer holding the fracture correctly. To finally heal, Obadiah must undergo a three-part procedure to align his bone and return it to a normal position. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On April 25th, Obadiah will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. Upon recovery, Obadiah’s fracture will be healed, he will no longer be in pain, and he will be able to work. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure. Obadiah shared: “I feel so sad when I depend on people to provide everything for me. I am sadder when I remember that my father is alone without a helper. I am so hopeful that one-day things will get back to normal, and I will be able to work and earn something. Kindly help me so that my father may no longer suffer.”

$1,145raised
Fully funded