Edward's Story

Edward joined Watsi on January 6th, 2016. Eleven years ago, Edward joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Edward's most recent donation supported Emmah, a toddler from Haiti, to fund treatment leading up to, and following heart surgery.

Impact

Edward has funded healthcare for 132 patients in 14 countries.

Patients funded by Edward

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

Kidus is a cheerful, active, and sociable two-year-old boy from Ethiopia. He loves playing with other children, and enjoys toy cars. As the first child in his family, he brings immense joy to his parents. His mother is a homemaker, while his father works as an assistant to transport drivers. Their income is limited, and the family lives in a house owned by a relative. Kidus was born with hypospadias, a condition that causes urinary dysfunction. His condition was discovered shortly after birth while he was still in the hospital. The doctors informed his parents that he should not undergo circumcision, because corrective surgery would be required in the future. They advised the family to seek further medical review at a higher-level hospital. The news was very difficult for Kidus's parents. His mother became deeply distressed, and often cried because she worried about her son's future. His father was also greatly affected by the situation. Determined to find help, they took Kidus to a public referral hospital, where doctors assessed his condition and informed the family that Kidus would likely require two surgical procedures. However, because he was still young, he was put on a surgical waiting list. The family patiently waited for two years before receiving a call from the hospital. They were referred to our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre (BKMCM) for surgical treatment. Fortunately, Kidus is now scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on June 8th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,293 to cover the cost of Kidus' procedure and care. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms, and he will be at risk of future complications. Kidus' mother expressed her gratitude, saying: "I pray that Kidus will recover well, and have a healthy future. Thank you very much for this opportunity and support. May God richly bless you, reward your kindness, and bless the work of your hands. We are truly grateful for all that you have done for our family."

$1,293raised
Fully funded

Happiness is a 45-year-old business lady from Malawi. She runs a small liquor shop from which she earns approximately $250 USD per month to support herself and her family. Happiness is a single mother of three children. She has a 10-year-old, 20-year-old, and 27-year-old. Two of her children have completed high school, while the youngest is currently in sixth grade. For ten years, following the birth of her last child, Happiness has been experiencing abdominal pain and fullness. Her symptoms worsened significantly starting in December 2025, prompting referral to Partners in Hope (PIH) Medical Center for urgent intervention. Since then, she has experienced persistent abdominal pain accompanied by intermittent swelling episodes, adding to her existing discomfort. On January 9th, Happiness reported to PIH again, where she underwent further evaluation. She has been diagnosed with multiple uterine fibroids with an umbilical hernia, requiring combined surgical management. Happiness will need to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Given her poor financial status, she appealed for support. Happiness believes that undergoing the recommended surgeries will restore her health, relieve her pain, and enable her to resume her small‑scale business to support herself and her children. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is able to help. They are requesting $1,363 to fund Happiness's surgery. On April 11th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center. Once recovered, Happiness will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. "Kindly help me, I have suffered, and I just need my peace of mind," said Happiness.

$1,363raised
Fully funded

Ree is an 18-year-old young woman from Burma. She lives in Mae Ramat District, Tak Province, Thailand, with her mother, father, younger brother, husband, and son. She is a homemaker and looks after her one-year-old son. Her younger brother is a student. Her mother, father, and husband are subsistence farmers. When work is slow at the farm, they also work as day labourers. On 28th February 2026, Ree, her husband, and her son were driving back home from the market in the evening on a motorbike. Suddenly, they were hit from behind by a drunk driver, and all three of them fell from the bike onto the left side of the road. Nah suffered road rash on her face and leg, and realized that she could not stand up. Her son’s head was bruised and swollen, and on the left side of her husband’s body, there was also heavy bruising. An ambulance arrived on scene and took Nah to a nearby hospital. The doctor explained that her left ankle was fractured, requiring surgery. She was referred to our medical partner's care center, Mae Sot General Hospital. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Ree will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for March 7th and Ree needs to raise $1,500 to fund her procedure and care. This procedure will help Ree be able to walk and go back home to take care of her son, and she will no longer be in pain after treatment. Ree said, “I don’t even know what to say, but I feel sad. I have no idea where to look for funding for my treatment. I cannot walk and have to depend on my father for everything, and I miss my son at home.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Gilbert is 65 years old and a retired secondary school teacher from Malawi. He is married and a father of five children. His wife is a farmer. Six years ago, Gilbert began to experience troubling symptoms, including a small swelling on his neck. He visited the hospital, where he was diagnosed with recurrent follicular neoplasia of the thyroid. His medical history shows that he previously had a goiter in 1978, which was surgically removed, and he remained well afterwards. In 2023, Gilbert's condition worsened. After several tests, he was then started on chemotherapy for follicular thyroid disease and completed six cycles. He was referred to our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center, for surgery and specialized care. He was diagnosed with a goiter, which is an abnormal swelling of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. He needs surgery to prevent his symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Gilbert receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 7th. Surgeons will remove all or part of his thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,015, and he and his family need help raising money. Gilbert shared, "My condition has brought in more pain to my retirement life, ending up draining all my resources on hospital support; kindly help me to get better and get away with the stigma around me, said Gilbert during assessment."

$1,015raised
Fully funded

Killiness is a 54-year-old farmer from Malawi, married with no children. She lives in rural Lilongwe, about 90 km from the city, and supports herself and her elderly, sick mother through small-scale farming. Her husband rarely visits, leaving her with full responsibility for the household. Her limited income barely covers their living expenses. For two years, Killiness has been experiencing severe abdominal pain and heavy bleeding. She sought help at a nearby facility and was referred to a larger hospital, where she continued receiving care. Due to financial challenges, she often had to forgo food to save money for transport. Her condition has greatly affected her ability to farm and provide for her mother, and she frequently misses her work due to pain and hospital visits. The illness has also isolated her socially and caused emotional distress. Kiliness was scheduled for surgery on October 22nd but elevated blood pressure led to postponement. She returned to the hospital on November 12th, only to face another delay due to long waiting lists. Feeling hopeless, she prepared to leave, but a doctor encouraged her to seek help at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope (PIH). She went immediately and was reviewed by a gynecologist. She has been diagnosed with uterine fibroids, which are non-cancerous growths in the uterus. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,363 to fund Killiness's surgery. On December 9th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center. Once recovered, Killiness will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Kiliness says, “Please help me. The pain has made life so difficult, but with surgery I’ll be able to farm again, care for my mother, and move forward with my life.”

$1,363raised
Fully funded