J

United States
Jay's Story

Jay joined Watsi on March 12th, 2013. Twelve years ago, Jay joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Jay's most recent donation traveled 8,500 miles to support Gabriel, a six-year-old boy from Kenya, to fund hearing aids.

Impact

Jay has funded healthcare for 151 patients in 14 countries.

Patients funded by Jay

Gabriel is a six-year-old boy from Kenya who enjoys playing and learning new things. His father is a construction worker, but his income is not always steady, and there are times when it is difficult for him to provide even the basic needs of the family. His mother is a homemaker and depends on her husband’s income to support the household. Gabriel has struggled with his hearing since birth and has not been able to develop speech like other kids his age. His parents first became concerned when they noticed that he did not respond whenever they called his name. As Gabriel grew older, his difficulties became more noticeable, especially when he started school. He struggled to understand his teachers and could not communicate easily with his classmates. While other children followed lessons, interacted with one another, and participated in classroom activities, Gabriel found himself struggling to understand what was being taught. Doctors have recommended hearing aids to help him access sound and support the development of the communication skills he has been missing. For his family, this brought new hope that Gabriel could finally have an opportunity to hear and communicate with the people around him. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) can help. Gabriel is scheduled to be fitted with hearing aids on October 2nd. He and his family need your help in raising $1,171 to fund the devices and his care. Hearing aids could help Gabriel build confidence and reduce the isolation he has experienced for much of his young life. "Seeing my son isolate himself from others pains me deeply. I just want him to hear, communicate, and interact with other children,” Gabriel’s dad shared.

$629raised
$542to go

Zin is a 36-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his wife, one daughter, and two sons in Mae Sot, Tak Province, Thailand. He works as a part-time teacher in Mae Sot, while his wife is a homemaker. Zin's daughter and one son attend school, while the youngest son is too young to attend school. Unfortunately, Zin had to stop working in June 2026 because of his health issues. For their basic healthcare, the family usually visits Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) in Mae Sot, which provides free healthcare services. Zin was diagnosed with a heart condition that requires valve replacement. Heart valves control the flow of blood between chambers, but certain conditions may narrow the heart valve or cause the blood to flow backwards. Normal valve function is necessary to prevent long-term damage to the heart and lungs. Currently, Zin is still suffering from breathlessness on exertion and severe shortness of breath that wakes him after falling asleep. He mentioned that since his last visit to Mae Sot Hospital, his symptoms have become more severe. He can only walk a short distance and cannot sleep at night because of the breathlessness. Because of his health condition and inability to work, the family is facing financial difficulties, along with emotional stress and worry. After his surgery, follow-up visits, and full recovery, Zin plans to find a job to support his family’s daily expenses and continue living with his family. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a heart valve replacement for Zin. The treatment is scheduled to take place on September 1st at our medical partner's care center, Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital, and once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Zin expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you so much indeed to the organisation [BCMF] and the donors for your willingness and kindness in assisting with my surgery costs. I cannot fully describe in words how happy and thankful I am that I now have the opportunity to undergo surgery, which I could not even dream of without your support. I wish all of you good health, long lives, and great prosperity.”

$956raised
$544to go

Loyce is a 48-year-old wife and mother of four from Malawi. Two of her children are married with families of their own, while the other two assist with farming work at home. For many years, Loyce has contributed to her family's livelihood through her small charcoal-selling business, while her husband works as a builder. Together, they have worked tirelessly to provide for their family. For the last 18 months, Loyce has been living with uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids are common, non-cancerous growths that develop within or on the wall of the uterus and can cause symptoms such as heavy bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, abdominal swelling, fatigue, and anemia. When symptoms become severe, surgical intervention is often necessary to relieve pain, prevent complications, and improve quality of life. Loyce's journey toward care began when she first sought medical attention at a nearby health facility, where the doctors suspected the presence of uterine fibroids and referred her to another hospital for further assessment and confirmation. Despite receiving medical care at the time, her symptoms continued to worsen. She experienced ongoing lower abdominal pain, backache, dizziness, weakness, and increasing discomfort that interfered with her daily activities and quality of life. At the initial referral hospital, the doctors scheduled her for surgery in October 2026. However, in June 2026, her condition took a serious turn when she developed worrisome bleeding and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. After her condition stabilized, Loyce was discharged and advised to return immediately if her symptoms worsened. Unfortunately, her symptoms persisted, and in late July 2026, Loyce returned to the hospital. Due to the high volume of emergency cases requiring urgent attention, Loyce was referred to our medical partner's hospital, Partners in Hope (PIH) Hospital, for immediate surgical evaluation and management. At PIH, Loyce learned about the surgery program and, for the first time in many months, felt hopeful upon learning her surgery could be performed quickly without the prolonged delays she had previously experienced. Understanding the importance of her treatment and despite her financial hardships, Loyce voluntarily offered to contribute a co-pay of MWK 100,000 ($57.11 UDS) toward the cost of her care. On August 5th, Loyce will undergo a hysterectomy at PIH. Once recovered, Loyce will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. PIH is requesting $1,363 to fund her surgery. For Loyce, this surgery represents more than medical treatment. It is an opportunity to regain her strength, restore her health, and return to the activities that support her family. She dreams of returning to her charcoal business, helping with household responsibilities, and living free from the pain and uncertainty that have overshadowed the past year and a half. Loyce shared, "I would rather lose my womb than suffer and die. Kindly help me to move on with my life while I serve my family in good health; I already have enough children and grandchildren, so I don't have to suffer for nothing."

$936raised
$427to go

Charles is a 36-year-old father of four from Kenya. Before his illness, Charles operated a small shop selling sausages. Since his injury, he has been unable to run the business effectively, and his wife has taken over the running of the shop to support the family. The income from the business barely meets their basic needs, making it difficult to raise funds for the required surgery. Charles was at his shop in July 2025 when demonstrations broke out, and a crowd raided the building where his shop was located. In an attempt to escape, he was forced to jump from the first floor, landing badly, and severely injuring his right leg. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he underwent a fracture repair surgery. Unfortunately, the wound failed to heal properly. When Charles went to AIC Kijabe Hospital in September 2025, an examination revealed that the wound was severely infected. The metal nail that had been inserted during the initial surgery had to be removed to allow the infection to clear. Since then, Charles has been attending regular follow-up visits for wound cleaning and dressing. During a clinic visit in February 2026, he was finally cleared to undergo another ORIF surgery to stabilize his leg and allow proper healing. Unfortunately, his insurance coverage had already been exhausted and could not cover the required procedure. Charles continues to live in pain. He moves with the help of crutches, and at times the pain becomes unbearable, forcing him to rely on pain medication for relief. He is now reaching out for support so he can undergo surgery and finally heal. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On March 5th, Charles will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again and go back to being a provider for his family Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Charles says, “Sometimes my leg swells so much, that it becomes difficult to move, even with crutches.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Peter is a hardworking 33-year-old young man from Kenya. He works as a casual farm laborer to meet his basic needs. On December 2nd 2025, Peter was in a tragic road traffic accident. He was riding on a motorcycle when it was involved in a head-on collision with a lorry, and he sustained severe injuries from head to toe. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he received first aid, including stitching of head and facial wounds and bandaging of his right leg. Due to excessive bleeding and the severity of his injuries, he was later referred to our medical partner facility, AIC Kijabe Hospital, for advanced care. Since admission, Peter has undergone an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) procedure, as well as a surgical debridement, exhausting the number of procedures covered under his national health insurance cover for the year. Unfortunately, Peter now requires a skin graft, as the wound on his foot has become infected and is deteriorating. Since the accident, Peter is confined to a hospital bed and has suffered memory loss; he does not recall his name or family members and frequently experiences confusion and forgetfulness. As his hospital bill continues to rise daily, the family is overwhelmed and unsure where to turn for help - his siblings also rely on irregular casual work for a living. They are appealing for financial and medical support to enable Peter to undergo the needed surgery. The family remains hopeful that, with proper treatment and recovery, Peter’s memory and overall health will improve gradually. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Peter receive treatment. On January 5th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to help his wound heal. Now, Peter needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Peter says: "I've been in so much pain since the accident. I'm praying that this surgery will bring some relief."

$1,185raised
Fully funded