Ramona

Treat others the way you want to be treated

Germany   •   November 12th
Ramona's Story

Ramona joined Watsi on March 12th, 2013. 1,768 other people also joined Watsi on that day! Ramona's most recent donation traveled 3,900 miles to support Gift, a fifth-grader from Kenya, to fund corrective surgery for her leg.

Impact

Ramona has funded healthcare for 1385 patients in 20 countries.

Patients funded by Ramona

Gift is nine years old and a fifth grader from Kenya. She is the third born in a family of four. She loves playing, singing, and dreams of becoming a doctor one day. Gift was only two years old when her legs first started curving outward. As the severity of her condition became clearer, her father began a desperate search for answers. He took her from one hospital to another, hoping someone would explain what was happening. But every visit ended the same; doctors could not identify the cause or offer a solution. “At that time, I didn’t know how bad it could become,” her father said. Mbithi said. The hospital trips drained not only the family’s hope but also their finances. After many consultations, he was finally told that surgery was needed. Even though he wanted the best for his daughter, the cost of the treatment was far beyond what he could afford. Gift was diagnosed with genu varus, a misalignment of her knees, affecting the position of her legs and feet. As she grew older, her legs worsened, and every step became painful. Walking to school was a struggle, and sometimes her friends would run ahead, leaving her behind in tears. “It was heartbreaking to see Gift walking like that,” her father shared. Hope finally came when a friend told him about our medical partner's care center, AIC CURE International Hospital. There, Gift underwent surgery to correct her right leg, and the results brought great relief to her family. She is now back at the hospital for another surgery to correct her left leg, bringing her one step closer to walking without pain and living the life she dreams of. Gift is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on December 5th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,224 to cover the cost of Gift's procedure and care. Gift's father shared, “My prayer is that she gets well and has her legs straightened so she can live a normal life. After treatment, I hope she will continue with school and achieve her dreams in the future.”

$1,224raised
Fully funded

Dah is a 71-year-old grandmother. She lives with her two daughters and their husbands, two granddaughters and two grandsons in the refugee camp in Mae Hong Son province, Thailand. Dah is originally from Karen State, Burma, but she relocated to a camp with her family in 1997 due to conflict in their region. Her husband passed away two years ago while in the camp. Now retired, Dah assists her daughters with household chores and cares for her grandchildren, all of whom are students in the camp, except for the youngest, who is just two years old. One daughter works as a day laborer, while the other is eight months pregnant. Dah’s sons-in-law are currently unemployed but help around the house. She also has a daughter in the USA who sends $200 every three months. Additionally, Dah receives 2240 THB (approximately $67.88) monthly from The Border Consortium. Despite this support, her family struggles to make ends meet, often relying on taking rice from the store in advance and repaying when they have the cash. Two years ago, Dah started experiencing abdominal pain and bloating. Upon review, she was diagnosed with uterine fibroids, and needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Dah's surgery. On January 15th, she will undergo gynaecological surgery at Mae Sariang Hospital. Once recovered, Dah will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Dah said: "Initially, I was concerned about the operation, but when I spoke with others in the camp who had undergone similar surgery, I felt reassured. Now, I'm eager to move forward and receive the treatment I need."

$1,500raised
Fully funded