Success! Ampaire from Uganda raised $240 to fund a throidectomy.

100%

$240 raised, $0 to go

$240

raised

to go

Ampaire's story
Ampaire's update

January 24, 2020

Ampaire is a nursing assistant from Uganda. She is married and a mother to one child after she lost one pregnancy. She earns a living through small scale farming as a well as working as a nursing assistant in a small clinic near to their home. Her husband is a bodaboda driver.

Two years ago, Ampaire began to experience troubling symptoms, including difficulty breathing and neck disfigurement. She was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse.

Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Ampaire receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on January 27th at our medical partner’s care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $240, and she and her family need help raising money.

Ampaire says, “I hope for good results out of my surgery, a better health and a living so that I can continue with my work as a nursing assistant.”

Ampaire is a nursing assistant from Uganda. She is married and a mother to one child after she lost one pregnancy. She earns a living throug...

Photo of Ampaire post-operation

February 27, 2020

Ampaire underwent a throidectomy.

Ampaire successfully received a thyroidectomy treatment and she is now feeling much better and reports no pain. Her breathing difficulty and disfigurement has been eliminated.

Ampaire shared, “Thanks so much for having supported my surgery because I wouldn’t have been able to meet the costs had it not been for your aid. May God bless you for the good work you do for those in need.”

Ampaire successfully received a thyroidectomy treatment and she is now feeling much better and reports no pain. Her breathing difficulty and...

January 24, 2020
PROFILE SUBMITTED
Ampaire was submitted by Joan Kadagaya, SAFE Senior Program Coordinator at African Mission Healthcare.
January 28, 2020
TREATMENT OCCURRED
Ampaire received treatment at Karoli Lwanga Hospital, Nyakibale in Uganda. 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 28, 2020
PROFILE PUBLISHED
Ampaire's profile was published to start raising funds.
February 27, 2020
TREATMENT UPDATE
Ampaire's treatment was successful. Read the update.
November 12, 2020
FULLY FUNDED
Ampaire's treatment was fully funded.

Funded by 5 donors

Treatment

Thyroidectomy

Cost Breakdown
Diagnosis
Procedure

On average, it costs $240 for Ampaire's treatment

Hospital Fees

$163

Medical Staff

Medication

$22

Supplies

$49

Labs

Symptoms
Impact on patient's life
Cultural or regional significance

What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

Patients in need of a thyroidectomy often present with a small thyroid growth (nodule or cyst), a thyroid gland that is so overactive it is dangerous (thyrotoxicosis), cancer of the thyroid, noncancerous (benign) tumors of the thyroid that are causing symptoms, or thyroid swelling (nontoxic goiter) that makes it hard to breathe or swallow. Patients in need of thyroid surgery often present with nervousness, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, hand tremor, excessive sweating, weight loss, and sleep problems, among other symptoms.

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

The thyroid gland is an organ located in the front of your neck that releases hormones that control your metabolism (the way your body uses energy), breathing, heart rate, nervous system, weight, body temperature, and many other functions in the body. When the thyroid gland is overactive (hyperthyroidism) the body’s processes speed up and you may experience nervousness, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, hand tremor, excessive sweating, weight loss, and sleep problems, among other symptoms.

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

Thyroid disorders are relatively common in the African continent. Iodine deficiency, although still the commonly documented cause of thyroid disorders in Africa, is not as rampant as it used to be. There is a compelling need to set up thyroid disorder registries in order to determine not only the scope of the burden of these disorders, but also to document changing trends, if any, especially given the background of widespread iodization programs. Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine cancer, and its incidence has continuously increased in the last three decades all over the world. This trend is present on every continent except Africa, where detection is possibly insufficient.

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

What does the treatment process look like?

Thyroid surgery takes approximately 3-8 hours depending on the patient. Patients will stay in the hospital for a maximum of 6-8 weeks or as needed for recovery. A patient will usually have one follow-up appointment in six weeks.

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

In cases involving thyroid cancer, the surgery is the patient’s best chance of preventing the spread of cancer and saving the patient’s life. For hyperthyroidism, the treatment helps stabilize the hormones that regulate metabolism and effectively treat some of the symptoms that the patient presents with such as rapid heartbeat, anxiety etc.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Thyroid surgery is often 90% curative if diagnosis happens early. For benign tumors and hyperthyroidism, the surgery is more than 90% curative. The surgery comes with few risks.

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

There are few quality care centers in the region. Hospitals lack adequate resources and expertise to treat this condition.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

In Kenya, surgery is the only treatment offered for thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism. This is because radiotherapy and medication alternatives are not easily accessible in the county. Also, the cost of treating with radiotherapy and medication is higher than that of surgery.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Monicah is a 36 year old from Kenya. She works as a cleaner and her income is inconsistent. She is a single mother of four children. Her older child is in primary two while the youngest is in nursery school. She is the breadwinner and their family lives in a single-room rental house costing about $7. Monica was well until December 2022. She reports that her hearing kept decreasing and one day it just went down. She has been diagnosed with severe hearing loss in both ears. She cannot hear unless someone shouts. She is accompanied by her elderly mother who is helping her. She can hear well if she gets a hearing aid device and needs two devices for both ears. She has been living with the condition for a year now and has not been able to get medical attention due to a lack of finances. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting funds of $1,171 to cover hearing aid fitting and devices for Monicah. Monicah says, “I used to hear well, and I am looking forward to hearing again.”

Sok Len and his family come from Prey Veng province. His father manufactures water barrels and his mother is a homemaker. Sok Len has one 6-year-old older brother in grade one. At home, he likes to help his mother with the groceries and play with toy cars. His favorite meal is his mother's soup. Sok Len was born with macrodactyly of the left great and second toes on his left foot. Macrodactyly is a condition where toes or fingers are abnormally large due to the overgrowth of bone and soft tissue. His parents are worried that as he grows, he may have difficulty walking, wearing shoes, and being teased by other kids when he starts school. Because his family could not afford private care, a clinic referred them to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, for diagnosis and treatment. Doctors at CSC have determined that two of his toes need to be amputated to avoid further disfigurement. Surgery has been scheduled for January 29th. Now, his parents need assistance with the cost of the $479 which will support the cost of surgery, medications, hospitalization, and physical therapy post-operatively. His mother said: "I hope his toe does not keep growing, and he will be able to keep up with other children when he starts school."

Dany is a 33-year-old mother of two from rural Cambodia. She works at home caring for her disabled father and her two kids, ages 7 and 1. Her husband works at a nearby construction job. Dany enjoys spending time with her kids and cooking. Ten years ago, Dany was in a motorbike accident and fractured her left femur. After the accident, she went to an emergency clinic and doctors fixated hardware to heal the fracture. Now the fracture has healed, but the metalwork causes discomfort and infection. It is difficult for her to walk, and she is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On February 19th, Dany will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $304. This procedure will help her walk easily again. She shared, "I hope I can walk easily, and be able to take care of my children now that my son started to walk."

Ampaire's Timeline

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Funded by 5 donors

Treatment

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.