United States   •   http://instagram.com/ninajyang   •   December 19th
Nina's Story

Nina joined Watsi on March 13th, 2013. Twelve years ago, Nina joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Nina's most recent donation traveled 8,300 miles to support Moo, a 58-year-old woman from Burma, to fund fracture repair surgery.

Impact

Nina has funded healthcare for 143 patients in 17 countries.

Patients funded by Nina

Veasna is a 39-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He is married and lives in Kampong Cham with his wife and their two children. His wife works at a garment factory, their first child is in Grade 3, and their youngest child is 2 years old. He d also takes day labor jobs to help support his family. On April 25, 2026, Veasna was involved in a motorcycle-car accident that caused a fracture of his left humerus. He underwent surgery for his humerus fracture, but afterward, he remained unable to move his left arm and was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, for further treatment. He has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. He has severe weakness and loss of sensation in his left arm and is unable to actively move his shoulder, elbow, wrist, or fingers. His arm is currently nonfunctional, making it difficult for him to farm, earn an income, and perform everyday activities independently. Veasna traveled to our medical partner's care center, Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, to receive treatment. This is the only center in the whole country where this treatment is available. On August 11th, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, he will regain some movement and function in his left arm, making daily activities easier and allowing him to become more independent and return to farming. His family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $637 more to fund his procedure and care. Veasna said, “I hope this surgery can help restore some movement and function in my left arm. Even if my arm cannot fully recover, I hope to become more independent, return to farming, and make my daily activities easier.”

$153raised
$484to go

Ruth is 36 years old and a single mother of three from Malawi. She also has one grandchild from her firstborn. Ruth has experienced multiple family losses. Both of her parents and her two siblings are deceased. The only surviving relative is her uncle, who is physically disabled and fully dependent on her for care and support. She earns a living by selling tomatoes. In 2003, Ruth began to experience troubling symptoms, including a small swelling on the right side of her neck. Over time, the swelling grew bigger and began to affect her health. She developed symptoms including loss of voice, neck pain, headaches, and frequent coughing. After 15 years, she finally sought medical attention and was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal enlargement 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. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Ruth receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on May 2nd at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,015, and she and her family need help raising money. Ruth shared, "My only hope is you; I tried all that I could, but failed. I am looking forward to your support."

$1,015raised
Fully funded

Hillary is a 28-year-old man from Kenya, full of determination and hope despite the many challenges he has faced. He completed school until the fourth grade, and he dreams of continuing his education and building a better future for himself and his family. He currently works as a farmer, growing maize, beans, and seasonal potatoes on a modest plot of land. Though hardworking, his income is minimal. He lives with his parents and contributes what he can to help support his siblings’ education. Tragedy struck on February 21st, when Hillary was involved in a road traffic accident. He was riding a motorcycle that lost control and collided with another motorcycle. He was taken to the hospital and was found to have multiple serious injuries, including a deep laceration to his forehead, wounds to his knee and thigh, and significant trauma to his left leg. Imaging revealed a fractured jaw and a distal femur fracture. Due to the severity of his injuries, Hillary was urgently taken to the operating room, where he underwent irrigation and debridement of the wounds and was placed in a long-leg posterior splint for support. He later underwent a second procedure to stabilize his femur with an external fixator. His jaw was also surgically repaired using arch bars and open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), restoring the structure of his face. During recovery, Hillary has remained resilient. He has followed strict precautions, including non-weight-bearing movement and a liquid diet. He is now able to move with crutches, though his mobility remains limited, and his ability to speak and smile is still affected by the jaw fixation. Hillary has returned to the hospital for the next stage of his care: removal of the external fixator and complete surgical repair of his femur to restore function fully. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner care center can help. On April 2nd, Hillary will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation, to restore stability and function to his leg. To make this possible, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,014 is needed to fund his surgery. Hillary says, "I thank God for this far towards my recovery, please assist me, and looking forward to complete healing. I will go back to school, and I promise to help others too in the near future."

$1,014raised
Fully funded

Rosemary is five years old and the youngest of three children from Kenya. Her mother works as a domestic helper, while her father earns a living by carrying luggage for travelers. Rosemary has experienced health challenges since she was six months old. She was frequently in and out of hospitals, and she experienced significant developmental delays. Rosemary did not sit on her own until she was two years old and only began walking at the age of four. Her mother was finally relieved to see Rosemary slowly catching up with her peers. However, Rosemary has never been able to speak. Rosemary is now five years old and still cannot talk. Her mother had hoped that, just like her other milestones, speech would eventually come, but it never did. This year, Rosemary was enrolled in school, believing that being around other children might encourage her to open up and begin talking. Unfortunately, there was no improvement. When Rosemary’s teachers raised concerns about her lack of progress in class, her mother started taking her to different hospitals. Due to financial constraints, her parents could not afford the scans and tests needed to determine what was wrong. In November 2025, Rosemary was brought to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, where she was finally diagnosed with hearing loss. She needs hearing aids, and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,171 to raise money for hearing aids. Rosemary’s mother says, “I hoped that joining school would help her begin to speak, but she is not progressing. It pains me to watch her peers move forward while she remains behind, unaware of how much the other children are learning.”

$1,171raised
Fully funded