Duncan Masters
Duncan's Story

Duncan joined Watsi on November 26th, 2014. 79 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Duncan's most recent donation traveled 8,800 miles to support Srey Khuoch, a food seller from Cambodia, to fund orthopedic surgery.

Impact

Duncan has funded healthcare for 17 patients in 7 countries.

Patients funded by Duncan

Marbella is one year old, and is the second daughter in her family. She lives with her parents and older brother in an adobe house in Guatemala. Her mother works at home, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of Marbella. Her father is a day laborer in the fields, who often does not have work. While her mother is working, Marbella loves to play with plastic dishes and pretend to make food. Although her parents work hard, they do not have the resources for her to reach a healthy height and weight. Marbella is suffering from malnutrition, meaning that she is much too small for her age. Not only has her physical growth been stunted, but she also has a weak immune system—in the past two weeks alone she has suffered from a cough and a high fever. Unfortunately, malnutrition also decreases her appetite--Marbella's mother says that she almost never finishes the food she gives her, and that she gets tired quickly when she plays. If Marbella does not receive treatment, she could face the consequences of stunted mental and physical growth for the her the rest of her life, making it more likely that she will have lower-paying jobs as an adult and have children who are also malnourished. Marbella will receive growth monitoring, food supplements, and deworming medication which will help her grow, develop healthily both mentally and physically, and overcome malnutrition. Her parents will receive nutrition education so they can learn how to best feed Marbella, even with the little resources they have. If she receives treatment now, she will be able to have normal mental and physical development. This treatment will give Marbella a better chance of escaping the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that she is caught in. Her parents share, "We dream that our daughter can go to university."

$512raised
Fully funded

Miriam is a 66-year-old woman from a remote region of Kenya. She lives with her husband in a grass-thatched house, and they sell charcoal to support themselves. Four of her five children have families and live in the same village, and her youngest child is in high school. In 2011, Miriam injured her eye injury and received eye drops from a local dispensary. However, she noticed a gradual change in her vision as she developed a cataract in one of her eyes. A cataract occurs when there is a buildup of proteins in the lens of the eye. This causes the lens to become cloudy, disrupting the passage of light through the lens and impairing vision. Most cataracts are due to age-related changes in the eye and account for 50 percent of all cases of blindness worldwide. Early symptoms include blurred vision and tearing. Miriam says she is not able to walk comfortably as she has problems with her vision. She has not been able to access medical care. In June 2016, at an eye camp organized by Kijabe hospital, doctors recommended cataract surgery for Miriam, but she is not able to raise the amount needed. For $230, Miriam will undergo small incision cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lens from her eye and replace it with an intraocular lens implant. Funding for her treatment also includes an overnight hospital stay, eye drops, and medicine to reduce pain and prevent infection. “I want to be able to see clearly again and be able to provide for myself," shares Miriam.

$230raised
Fully funded

Meet Lucy, a 46-year-old woman from Kenya. Lucy is a mother of four children and a grandmother of four more. Since separating with her husband in 2005, she has taken up the role of breadwinner in her family. Lucy washes clothes along with two of her daughters to earn a living. She was unable to continue educating these two daughters. Her other two children are in primary school. Lucy lives in a municipally provided house where she struggles to live a comfortable life with the burden of rent and education costs. In August 2013, Lucy began to experience headaches and swollen feet. She was diagnosed with artery blockage and was given medication in addition to attending clinics between 2013 and 2015. In April 2016, she fell unconscious and was brought to Watsi's medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. There, Lucy was diagnosed with fibroids, or abnormal growths in the uterus and cervix. Lucy was hospitalized for nine days and accumulated a bill that was paid through a ‘harambee’ (fundraising). Her father, who used to follow up on her treatment, was killed in May 2016, leaving Lucy struggling. Lucy continues to combat pain and swelling in her legs, as well as fatigue and migraines. She requires an $800 total abdominal hysterectomy-- a surgical removal of the uterus and cervix. Lucy's family and friends have contributed $104 towards the procedure, but she still cannot access medical care due to her financial constraints. "I want to be well to continue providing for my family and live a healthy life," Lucy says. Let's help her get the medical attention she needs.

$800raised
Fully funded

Seraphin is a 36-year-old woman from Kenya who has two children—one in nursery school and the other in high school. In July 2015, Seraphin started complaining of diminishing eyesight in both eyes. She sought medical care that month, and doctors recommended a CT scan. Because she was not able to raise the amount of money needed for the scan, she did not obtain the scan until May 2016, when her nephew took her to the hospital. After the CT scan, she was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. As a result of the tumor, Seraphin has lost completely lost her vision in one eye and has partial vision in the other. She complains of migraines and loss of balance. A former domestic worker, Seraphin has been unable to work to provide for her children. Since January 2016, she and her children have lived with her parents. To remove the tumor from Seraphin's brain, doctors plan to perform a craniotomy to remove a portion of her skull to access the tumor. Seraphin cannot afford to pay for the surgery, but if not treated, she may become completely blind and unable to take care of her children. $1,205 pays for surgery for Seraphin as well as six days of hospital care—two days in intensive care and four days in the general ward—after surgery. Funding also covers the costs of medicine, blood work, and pathology. Seraphin's family and friends are contributing $313 to pay for additional costs associated with her care. “My hope is to have my eyesight restored to be able to provide for my children," shares Seraphin. "I want the best for them."

$1,205raised
Fully funded