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Teresa MejiaUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER

Teresa's Story

Teresa joined Watsi on August 20th, 2016. Six years ago, Teresa joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Teresa's most recent donation supported Paw, a young woman from Burma, to fund a C-section to safely deliver her baby.

Impact

Teresa has funded healthcare for 82 patients in 11 countries.

Patients funded by Teresa

Paw is a young woman from Burma. She lives with her husband, her parents, and her younger sister in a refugee camp in Thailand. Her father collects vegetables from their vegetable patch or from other people’s farms, and sells them in the camp. Her husband and younger sister occasionally take on casual work as agricultural day laborers outside the camp. In her free time, Paw enjoys watching movies on her phone and cleaning her house. Paw is pregnant, and doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section because of a high-risk pregnancy. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Paw undergo a C-Section on October 8th at our medical partner's care center, Tha Song Yang Hospital. This procedure will cost $1500, and Paw needs your support. Paw stated, “If no donor can help me, I’m worried that my baby and I may die. We cannot afford going to a Thai hospital for a C-section. But when I heard that there were donors and an organization that could help me, I felt happy”.

$1,007raised
$493to go

Daniel is a six-year-old boy from Malawi. He is the youngest of four children. His single mother is raising him following the loss of her husband. Daniel’s mother sells soap to support the family, while the eldest child does casual work in town to help provide for the family’s needs. For two years, Daniel has had a hydrocele, a condition that causes swelling and discomfort in a sensitive area of his body. Over time, the swelling increased and caused Daniel worsening discomfort, making it increasingly difficult for him to carry out his daily activities. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. On September 9th, Daniel will undergo hydrocele repair surgery. Daniel’s mother is hopeful that the surgery will relieve his discomfort, improve his daily activities, and allow him to live a healthier and more comfortable life. He needs help raising $627 to fund his surgery and care. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Daniel's mother shared, "My child usually cries because of the pain. He does not look happy at all; kindly help me as we have waited for so long. This is my rare opportunity for my child to be supported."

$461raised
$166to go

Hem is a 57-year-old rice farmer from Pailin Province in Cambodia. She is married and lives with her 64-year-old husband. They have four children. Her first and second children are rice farmers, her third child works for an organization, and her youngest child is a teacher. In her free time, she enjoys listening to monks praying and keeping up with the news. Hem has a herniated disc at the L4-L5 level of her lower spine, a condition in which a spinal disc presses on nearby nerves. She has experienced intermittent lower back pain for approximately three years, but about one month ago, the pain began radiating down the back of her left leg. She also experiences intermittent numbness in her left leg and weakness when extending her left toe. These symptoms have made walking and carrying out her daily activities as a farmer more difficult. Hem was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), by a relative. She traveled approximately seven hours from Pailin to seek specialized care. After evaluation, doctors recommended surgery to relieve the pressure on the affected nerves. Hem is scheduled to undergo laminectomy and decompression of the L4-L5 spine on August 17th. She has contributed $100 towards her treatment but needs an additional $1,400 in support to cover the cost of surgery and related care. The surgery aims to relieve pressure on the nerves and help reduce her back and leg symptoms, allowing her to walk more comfortably and return to farming and her normal daily activities. Hem said, “I hope that this surgery will relieve my back and leg pain, improve the numbness and weakness in my left leg, and help me walk more comfortably again. I wish to return to farming, and continue my normal daily activities.”

$864raised
$536to go

Ester is a 13-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her parents, her younger brother, and two younger sisters in a village in Karen State, Burma. Ester and her three younger siblings go to school while their parents are small-scale farmers. They also raise chickens and pigs, and they forage for vegetables in the forest for their own consumption. They also have a small garden where they grow betel nut trees, and they sell some of the betel nuts to earn a small income. Sometimes, Ester’s father also finds work as an agricultural day laborer. In her free time, Ester loves to help her mother with household chores and also play with her friends at school. She wants to become a teacher when she grows up. Ester was born with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a condition in which a hole exists between the two upper chambers of the heart. Sometimes ASDs may close on their own during development, but sometimes this condition requires surgery to repair the hole and prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Ester is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on July 7th to correct her condition and improve her quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help cover the cost of Ester's procedure and care. Ester's mother shared, "I would like to thank BCMF and your donors for your kindness and willingness to support my daughter. Without you, my daughter would not receive treatment as the cost is too high for us, and we cannot borrow such a large amount of money from our neighbours. On behalf of our family and our daughter, thank you to your donors and everyone willing to help my daughter.”

$972raised
$528to go

Ma is a 46-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband, three daughters, and a niece in a refugee camp in Mae Sariang District, Mae Hong Song Province, Thailand. Her daughters are students, while Ma's husband works in a motorbike repair shop. Since November 2025, Ma has been experiencing lower abdominal pain and frequent urination. She has been diagnosed with a uterine myoma. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Ma's surgery. On May 20th, she will undergo gynecological surgery, which will help her resume her daily activities free of pain. Ma said, “I am concerned that the mass could be a cancer when I noted that it is getting bigger. I could not weave as I did before because of pain, and I feel the mass in my belly.”

$1,193raised
$307to go

Dah is a 29-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband and son in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Originally from Karen State, Burma, they fled to the refugee camp due to armed conflict in their village in 2023. Her husband is a day labourer outside of the refugee camp, while she is a homemaker and looks after her young son. During her free time, she enjoys cleaning her house and cooking nice meals. In the future, she hopes to return to her village with her family and resume farming. Dah is pregnant, and her doctors recommend that she deliver via a cesarean section because of a high-risk pregnancy. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Dah undergo a C-Section on June 19th. This procedure will cost $1500, and Dah needs your support. Dah shared, “Here I cook, clean the house and take care of my family. I miss my village and my paddy farm, where I used to be a farmer. I hope to go back home.:

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Kue is a 20-year-old man who lives with his wife and daughter in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. His wife looks after their daughter and also makes and sells snacks twice a week from their home to help earn an income. Kue used to work as a day laborer in neighboring Thai villages but stopped working in July 2025 when he first felt unwell. . On the 12th of January, 2026, Kue was admitted to the hospital in camp due to weakness and pain in his leg. Kue observed that his left leg was smaller than his right leg. He was referred to our medical partner's care center, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, where he underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of his left leg, which showed that he has osteomyelitis in his left femur, septic arthritis in his left hip, and inflammation in his left knee. He underwent a wound debridement surgery and was scheduled to go home on the 16th of February. However, when getting out of bed that day, he heard a snapping sound when he bore weight on his left leg. An X-ray confirmed that his left femur was fractured. He needs surgery to facilitate proper healing. On February 17th, Kue will undergo fracture repair surgery, and he needs help raising $1,500 to fund his procedure and care. Currently, Kue is in pain, and his leg is immobilized in a leg brace. He requires the help of someone to complete daily tasks. In his free time, he likes to fix machines, and he plans to do that in the future. Kue said, “I have been sick for a long time, and now my leg broke when I was about to go home. But I feel relieved that there is someone who can help me receive treatment.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Roland is a 36-year-old father from the Philippines. He has been living with a fistula for about 15 years. Initially, his symptoms were sporadic and self-resolving. However, flare-ups have become frequent, occurring every two months for the past two years. These episodes cause pain, fatigue, and difficulty sitting, forcing Roland to adjust his daily routine. After Roland traveled to our medical partner's care center, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, surgery was recommended to relieve his symptoms. While this has brought Roland hope, the estimated cost remains beyond his financial capacity, leaving him reliant on antibiotics for temporary relief. Despite his condition, Roland continues to support his family by helping run their small clothing business and taking on electrical work on the side. His condition limits his ability to fully participate in work, leisure activities, and caring for his children. His family strongly believes surgery would restore his quality of life, reduce recurring medical expenses, and ease the financial strain. Fortunately, Roland is scheduled to receive surgery on March 20th at the World Surgical Foundation Philippines. Our medical partner, Our Lady of Peace Hospital, is requesting $1,198 to fund this treatment. Access to surgical treatment would allow Roland to regain comfort, resume normal activities, and provide more stability for his household. Roland shared, "I’m looking forward to playing basketball again without pain and being able to sit comfortably while spending time with my children."

$1,198raised
Fully funded

Amos, who is 32 years old and single, lives in Narok County in Kenya. He works as a small scale farmer. Amos had just finished watching a football match on February 4th, when an argument broke out among his friends. Trying to be the peacemaker, he stepped in to calm the situation, but was struck with a forceful blow to his face. Despite the pain, Amos hoped that it was something minor, and took pain relievers. Two days later, however, his jaw had become severely swollen, and the pain was unbearable. He sought help at a nearby hospital, where scans revealed that his jaw had been fractured in three places. He was immediately referred to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, for specialized care. Amos requires a mandible Open Reduction Internal Fixation (ORIF) surgery to repair his jaw, and to prevent long-term complications. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On February 12th, Amos will undergo the fracture repair procedure at AIC Kijabe Hospital. This procedure will help relieve his pain and enable him to eat, speak, and get back to good health. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,115 to fund this procedure. Amos said: “I’ve been on a yoghurt and mashed food diet for a week now. It feels like my teeth are falling out. The pain is unbearable.”

$1,115raised
Fully funded

Grace is a two-year-old girl from Burma. She lives in a refugee camp in Mueang Mae Hong Son District, Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Ten years ago, her parents moved to the camp to escape the fighting in their village in Burma. Grace lives with her parents, older sister, two aunts, uncle, and her uncle’s wife. Grace’s mother raises pigs and chickens to sell in the camp, and her father is a day laborer. Since birth, Grace has had a hernia granuloma. Currently, Grace’s umbilicus produces bloody discharge every day. While Grace does not experience any pain, her mother’s anxiety grows each passing day. Fortunately, on January 19th, Grace will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Grace's hernia repair surgery. The procedure will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Grace's mother shared, “I worry about what will happen to her if she doesn’t have this issue fixed now. The doctors told us that we needed to go to Chiang Mai for her treatment, which would cost a lot of money. We can't afford that. We don’t know what will happen to her.” Grace’s mom is extremely thankful to the donors for their financial support. She said, “Thank you so much to the donors for helping my child. I want to say so much, but I don’t know what to say. God has finally found a way for my child to receive treatment.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Albert is a nine-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is full of potential and quiet courage. As the firstborn in his family, he carries a deep sense of responsibility for his siblings and supports his mother in household and farming tasks. Albert’s father left the family years ago, leaving his mother to raise the children alone. She farms a small plot of land to feed them. Albert recently started primary school, but his path has been difficult. Albert has clubfoot on both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. The tissues connecting the muscle to the bones are shorter than usual, and this causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Albert has lived with pain and limited mobility all his life. He walks long distances with great effort, determined not to let his condition stop him from pursuing education. Fortunately, Albert's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Surgeons will begin clubfoot treatment on December 16th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,119 to fund Albert's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Albert’s future would drastically change, giving him the ability to walk without pain, attend school more confidently, and build a life defined not by his disability. Albert’s mother says, “I want to make sure my boy grows up happy and healthy."

$1,119raised
Fully funded

Dita is an 11-year-old bright boy from Ethiopia. He enjoys studying and spending time with his family. He also loves playing football with his siblings and friends. His father is a farmer who occasionally works as a day laborer, and his mother is a dedicated homemaker. Dita was born with hypospadias, a condition that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of future complications. Fortunately, Dita is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on December 3rd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,293 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. Dita's father expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you for the services you provide us. May God bless you. I hope my child will become as healthy as my other children."

$1,293raised
Fully funded