Benjamin OrthliebUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Benjamin's Story

Benjamin joined Watsi on March 12th, 2013. Nine years ago, Benjamin joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Benjamin's most recent donation traveled 8,500 miles to support Boaz, a 15-year-old student from Kenya, to fund surgery to repair his fractured tibia so that he can walk again.

Impact

Benjamin has funded healthcare for 573 patients in 17 countries.

Patients funded by Benjamin

Panha is a happy child from Kampong Chhnang province, approximately two hours away from the capital of Phnom Penh. She lives with her parents, an older sister, and her grandparents. Her father works in a local cloth weaving factory, her mother sells groceries, and her grandparents are rice farmers. At home, Panha likes to help her mother with the groceries and play with dolls. Her favorite meal is fried chicken and soup. Panha was born with macrodactyly of the toes on her left foot. Macrodactyly is a condition where toes or fingers are abnormally large due to the overgrowth of bone and soft tissue. Her parents are worried that as she grows, she may have difficulty walking, wearing shoes, and being teased by other kids when she starts school. Because her family could not afford care for her, a clinic referred her to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center (CSC), where they hoped she could receive free or low-cost care. Doctors at CSC have determined that one of her toes needs to be amputated, and two other toes must be disarticulated (separated from the joint to avoid further disfigurement). Her parents need assistance with the cost of the $479 operation to cover the cost of surgery, medications, hospitalization, and physical therapy post-operation. Panha's mother said: "I hope my daughter's foot will look normal like her other foot. We want her to walk without problems as she grows and hope children will not make fun of her when she goes to school."

$185raised
$294to go

Say is a 31-year-old woman who has lived with her family in a refugee camp for more than 10 years after fleeing the conflict in Burma. She is a homemaker who lives with her husband, elderly father, and three young children who are all attending school. The income for Say’s family comes from cash cards provided by an organisation in the refugee camp. Say’s husband works as a delivery driver outside the camp but he has been unable to work since December 2023 because Say’s father and eldest son have health issues that require support. Their monthly income is not enough to cover their living expenses and they sometimes need to borrow food before their cash card is refilled. Basic health care is provided by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in the refugee camp free of charge, but not advanced care like Say needs. In 2022, Say began having pain, discomfort, and pressure in her abdomen. She was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst and has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy which will remove her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Say's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications. Say is scheduled to undergo a hysterectomy on February 22nd. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. “I will look for a job as a nursery teacher in the camp, I used to do this before I had to stop. Thank you so much to the donors who are helping us pay for my surgery and thank you to BCMF. May you all be healthy, and God bless you,” shared Say.

$630raised
$870to go