Peter's Story

Peter joined Watsi on May 1st, 2013. Nine years ago, Peter joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Peter's most recent donation traveled 8,800 miles to support Vutha, a 4th grade student from Cambodia, to fund eye surgery.

Impact

Peter has funded healthcare for 64 patients in 11 countries.

Patients funded by Peter

Veronica is a cheerful, married 29-year-old mother of two children. Veronica shared that she left school in primary school, because her parents could not afford her school fees. Her husband earns a living through helping people lift heavy luggage at a local bus station, and he also does a variety of other jobs when he has the opportunity. Veronica enjoys spending time with her two children, ages two and four; they give her joy and fulfillment as a mother. Her family lives in a one-bedroom rented house. In 2009, Veronica developed a swelling on her neck. She ignored it, thinking it would soon go away, but in 2014, the swelling grew. In 2015, she was diagnosed with a goiter, or enlarged thyroid, and surgery was recommended. As the goiter continues to grow, she has experienced coughing, difficulty breathing and difficulty swallowing. She can no longer sing in church or carry heavy things on her head, and she shared that she can no longer eat hard foods like msima, a Malawian staple. Veronica also told us that the condition has changed her appearance and has impacted her self-esteem. Veronica has visited the government hospital more than 15 times since her diagnosis, but her surgery was always rescheduled. Two weeks ago, she went to a different hospital and was referred to our medical partner's care center, where a surgeon recommended a thyroidectomy. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Veronica receive treatment. On May 25th, Veronica will undergo a thyroidectomy at AMH's care center. Now, AMH is requesting $1,015 to fund her procedure. The surgery is expected to improve her life and heal her symptoms. With a hopeful smile, Veronica shared, “I am overwhelmed with this opportunity to be sponsored for this operation. After the operation, I hope to live normally and care for my children properly. I believe I should be able to eat hard msima [the Malawi staple food] or raw cassava and potatoes which I now miss greatly. I look forward to sleeping without struggles after this surgery, much appreciation!”

$1,015raised
Fully funded

Kay is a 34-year-old woman who lives with her husband and two sons in a village on the Thai-Burma border. Her husband is a day labourer at a construction site, while both of her children are students. Kay used to work in a factory but stopped last year when her health deteriorated. Kay remembers first feeling the pain she has in her abdomen in April of 2014, a month after she gave birth to her second son. Five years later, the pain in the left side of her abdomen returned. Kay also could not eat or drink anything, and vomited every time she tried to eat. At the hospital, she was given medication and was instructed to take it regularly. Though Kay felt better at a follow-up appointment, some of her symptoms were still persistent, so the medic referred her to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for further investigation. At that hospital, Kay received an ultrasound, blood test and urine test, and the results revealed that she had stones in her left ureter. The doctor recommended that she undergo laser treatment to breakup these stones and treat the pain she has been experiencing. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Kay receive treatment. On March 2nd, she is scheduled to undergo a shockwave lithotripsy treatment at our medical partner's care center. This procedure will cost $1,500, and she and her family need help raising money. Kay shared, “I really want to recover. I cannot work at the factory [because of my condition] but I want to earn money. In the future, if I recover, I want to open a small shop to sell dry goods.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Charity is a 28-year-old woman from Kenya. She is the eldest in her family and is now married and has a newborn baby who is two months old. Her husband works as a clerk at a local dairy factory, where he earns enough to feed their family. Charity was working at the same factory, but was laid off from her job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She is not currently working and spends her time at home taking care of her child. Since August 2020, when Charity was pregnant, she started experiencing pain in her upper abdomen that radiated to the back. Charity had visited several different health centers but showed no improvement, and later decided to come to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center Nazareth Hospital. She underwent a scan, which showed that she has a large gallstone. The doctor recommended that she undergo a cholecystectomy. Without treatment, Charity's condition may become more complicated and cause her gall bladder inflammation, or a blocked bile duct or pancreatic duct. However, Charity is unable to meet the cost of her care and appeals for financial support. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. is helping Charity receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on March 9th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove the gallbladder due to the gallstone causing pain and possibly infection. This procedure will cost $788, and she and her family need help raising money. Charity shared, "The pain is too much at times and I feel some relief when I vomit. I am hoping to get support so that I can be well and be at peace to nurse my baby."

$788raised
Fully funded