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Success! Domingo from Malawi raised $334 to fund hernia repair surgery.

Domingo
100%
  • $334 raised, $0 to go
$334
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Domingo's treatment was fully funded on March 10, 2019.
January 30, 2019

Domingo underwent hernia repair surgery.

With renewed strength, he will be able to go home and continue farming to support his large family with food throughout the year.

He says, “We need this program to continue helping people because when people are sick, they cannot help themselves! Thank you!”

With renewed strength, he will be able to go home and continue farming to support his large family with food throughout the year. He says...

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January 16, 2019

Domingo is a retired carpenter originally from Mozambique who lives in Malawi. He tends to his farm with his friends from his village. With his wife, he has eight children and 15 grandchildren.

Since March 2018, Domingo has had an inguinal hernia. This hernia has cause swelling and pain and prevents him from working fully. Fortunately, on January 17, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner’s care center.

Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $334 to fund Domingo’s surgery. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and six nights of hospital stay. Domingo is very excited to be better and to go home and watch his crops grow so he can eat them.

He says, “This program is wonderful…Thank you.”

Domingo is a retired carpenter originally from Mozambique who lives in Malawi. He tends to his farm with his friends from his village. With ...

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Domingo's Timeline

  • January 16, 2019
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    Domingo was submitted by Angela Quashigah at World Altering Medicine.

  • January 17, 2019
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    Domingo received treatment at Nkhoma Hospital in Malawi. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.

  • January 17, 2019
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Domingo's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • January 30, 2019
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    Domingo's treatment was successful. Read the update.

  • March 10, 2019
    FULLY FUNDED

    Domingo's treatment was fully funded.

Funded by 11 donors

Funded by 11 donors

Treatment
Hernia Repair
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $334 for Domingo's treatment
Hospital Fees
$213
Medical Staff
$12
Medication
$99
Supplies
$0
Travel
$7
Labs
$3
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

​What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

A hernia repair is used to treat a number of hernias, including in the abdominal, diaphragmatic, and groin regions. Patients generally present with masses, and occasionally pain. Some patients with intestinal hernias will have difficulty passing stool, experience nausea, and have trouble eating.

​What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

Hernias can cause pain. As they advance, patients can experience difficulty eating, which can lead to malnutrition. Occasionally, this condition impacts the patient's ability to work and participate in other daily activities. This can jeopardize a patient's livelihood. This is especially relevant to our medical partner's patient population, as most people have manual jobs, such as farming or transporting goods.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

Many Malawians, especially those living in rural areas, carry large amounts of weight on a daily basis. Many women transport goods in bins on their heads, and men carry or bicycle heavy loads. This repetitive strain and pressure on the body is linked to the development of hernias.

  • Process
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Risks and side-effects
  • Accessibility
  • Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

A hernia repair is a simple surgical procedure that requires only a few days of post-operative monitoring before the patient can be discharged.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

This surgery typically results in a full recovery.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Although there are risks associated with any surgical procedure, risks associated with hernia repairs tend to be very minimal.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

In the area of our medical partner's treatment center, there is one central, public hospital. That hospital provides surgical services, but barriers exist. A patient requiring a hernia repair could be on a waitlist for years at the central hospital, or be sent home and told to return a number of times. For this reason, treatment can be very difficult to obtain at the public hospital. In addition to our medical partner's treatment center and the central hospital, there are private clinics that would provide this service, but at a high fee. Our medical partner's treatment center, Nkhoma, is a great option for patients because they are able to receive quality treatment.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

It is possible for patients to manually push the hernia back into place, but this is not a permanent solution. Ultimately, a surgical repair is the best way to mend the surrounding tissue and keep the organ in place.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Beatrice

34-year-old Beatrice lives with her husband and four children in Malawi. Beatrice uses the income from the saloon that she owns to take care of the needs of her children. Her husband, who is a businessman, uses his income to take care of their home, a three-bedroom house that has neither running water nor electricity. In 2020, some of Beatrice's friends noticed a swelling in her neck. Beatrice- who was pregnant at the time- went to the hospital to be evaluated. She was told that the swelling might be related to her pregnancy and that she should come back after giving birth if the swelling hadn't subsided. The swelling continued to grow; ultimately, Beatrice was diagnosed with a goiter- a swelling of the thyroid gland- and told that she would need to have her thyroid surgically removed. Beatrice's surgery continued to be postponed, but her symptoms of breathlessness and coughing- which often kept her from going to work- continued to worsen. Finally, her sister suggested that she visit Partners in Hope Medical Center, where doctors scheduled her for surgery on January 31st. As Beatrice is unable to cover the costs of her treatment, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $1,015 to fund Beatrice's thyroidectomy. Beatrice believes the removal of her thyroid will help her to return to her home in Blantyre, and to rejoin her family in good health. She believes her children are the reason why she lives, and she knows that she has to be healthy in order to continue supporting them. Beatrice said: “I am looking forward to getting back to normal.”

27% funded

27%funded
$278raised
$736to go
Clerize

Meet Clerize: a beautiful and bright 4-year-old. She is the 1st born in a family of two and her family hails from a small village in rural Kenya. We met her at our Nyandarua medical camp outreach accompanied by her grandmother. Clerize's grandmother is a farmer while her father, who is separated with his wife, works as a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) driver. Clerize was born healthy however at the age of three, her grandmother noticed an unusual walking style. She stared tiptoeing and would fall every time she tried to walk. For lack of information and because of the distance, they didn’t take her to the hospital. Later their family heard about CURE hospital medical camp in Nyandarua and brought her to be seen by the doctors. The medical team diagnosed Clerize with clubfoot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Clerize's family has now traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on February 26th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Clerize's clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to walk more easily and is looking forward to attending school. “I am pleading for help to help my granddaughter undergo surgery so that she can resume with her normal life and walking,” Clerize's grandmother told us.

42% funded

42%funded
$552raised
$734to go

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Beatrice

34-year-old Beatrice lives with her husband and four children in Malawi. Beatrice uses the income from the saloon that she owns to take care of the needs of her children. Her husband, who is a businessman, uses his income to take care of their home, a three-bedroom house that has neither running water nor electricity. In 2020, some of Beatrice's friends noticed a swelling in her neck. Beatrice- who was pregnant at the time- went to the hospital to be evaluated. She was told that the swelling might be related to her pregnancy and that she should come back after giving birth if the swelling hadn't subsided. The swelling continued to grow; ultimately, Beatrice was diagnosed with a goiter- a swelling of the thyroid gland- and told that she would need to have her thyroid surgically removed. Beatrice's surgery continued to be postponed, but her symptoms of breathlessness and coughing- which often kept her from going to work- continued to worsen. Finally, her sister suggested that she visit Partners in Hope Medical Center, where doctors scheduled her for surgery on January 31st. As Beatrice is unable to cover the costs of her treatment, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $1,015 to fund Beatrice's thyroidectomy. Beatrice believes the removal of her thyroid will help her to return to her home in Blantyre, and to rejoin her family in good health. She believes her children are the reason why she lives, and she knows that she has to be healthy in order to continue supporting them. Beatrice said: “I am looking forward to getting back to normal.”

27% funded

27%funded
$278raised
$736to go