Christine from Kenya raised $640 for a thyroidectomy.

100%

$640 raised, $0 to go

$640

raised

to go

Christine's story
Christine's update

March 16, 2016

Christine is a young mother of two children who has difficulty swallowing food and even breathing. The 28-year-old farm worker has not been able to work at the local school’s farm in Kenya since she was diagnosed with thyroiditis.

Christine and her husband live in a grass thatched house in a rural town and cannot afford the cost to care for Christine’s thyroid goiter. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), says “she has not been able to raise funds for specialized treatment since she was diagnosed with goiter in 2014. She requires support to be able to have the surgery and improve her health.” AMHF adds, “if not treated, the thyroid may cause respiratory palpitations.”

For $640, Christine will have surgery to remove the growth on her thyroid. She says, “my wish is to get well and be able to educate my children and assist my husband raise the family.”

Christine is a young mother of two children who has difficulty swallowing food and even breathing. The 28-year-old farm worker has not been ...

October 17, 2016

Christine successfully received a thyroidectomy.

Christine is a young mother of two children in Kenya who has had a growth on her thyroid for the past two years, making it difficult for her to swallow food and breathe.

After traveling to the local hospital for her surgery, Christine successfully had a thyroidectomy that removed the growth! She now no longer has problems swallowing or breathing. Now that she is fully healed, she’s able to work alongside her husband at the local school’s farm and her chances of further goiter infections have been greatly reduced.

“I am grateful for your support,” she says.

Christine is a young mother of two children in Kenya who has had a growth on her thyroid for the past two years, making it difficult for her...

March 16, 2016
PROFILE SUBMITTED
Christine was submitted by Joan Kadagaya, SAFE Senior Program Coordinator at African Mission Healthcare.
March 28, 2016
PROFILE PUBLISHED
Christine's profile was published to start raising funds.
April 6, 2016
TREATMENT OCCURRED
Christine received treatment at AIC Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. 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.
May 6, 2016
FULLY FUNDED
Christine's treatment was fully funded.
October 17, 2016
TREATMENT UPDATE
We received an update on Christine. Read the update.

Funded by 1 donor

Treatment

Thyroidectomy

Diagnosis
Procedure

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. It releases hormones that control your metabolism (the way your body uses energy), breathing, heart rate, nervous system, weight, body temperature, and many other functions. 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 three to eight hours depending on the patient. Patients will stay in the hospital for a maximum of six to eight 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 case of thyroid cancer, the surgery is the patient’s best chance of preventing the spread of cancer and saving the patient’s life. In cases of hyperthyroidism, the treatment help stabilize the hormones that regulate metabolism and effectively treat some of the patient's symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat, anxiety etc.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Thyroid surgery is often 90% curative should diagnosis be done 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?

The accessibility of the treatment is fairly easy in this region. Due to the high numbers of patients flocking to the government facilities, most patients opt to seek care in missionary and private hospitals which are slightly more costly. In Kijabe, we have an average of 80 to 100 thyroidectomies in a year (three to four cases a week).

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. Also, the cost of treating with radiotherapy and medication is higher than that of surgery.

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Ruhama is a beautiful two month old baby girl, who lives with her parents in Ethiopia. Both of her parents are quite young, and due to their having left school early, both work as day laborers, earning limited wages. Ruhama was born with an anorectal malformation, which is a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. She needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate her bowel dysfunction and help her grow up healthy. Ruhama is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her condition on February 1st, at BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Ruhama's procedure and care. After her recovery, Ruhama will no longer experience bowel dysfunction, or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Ruhama's mother said: “I will leave her at the hands of God. I can’t say she will heal or not, but it’s all God’s will."

Reaksa is an 11-year-old fifth grader from Cambodia. She is the oldest of four children. Reaska's mother stays home to look after the children, while her father works for a local construction company. At school, Reaska enjoys learning Math and Khmer history. Reaksa wants to become a nurse when she's older. In her free time, she plays with her siblings and the other kids in the village. She also loves to draw. Reaksa has been experiencing frequent sore throats, difficulty swallowing, snoring and coughing at night, weight loss, and recurring fevers. These frequent illnesses have caused her to miss school. Reaksa was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $265 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Reaksa, which is scheduled to take place on March 18th. Surgeons will remove her tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Reaksa of her symptoms and helping her live much more comfortably. After undergoing surgery, Reaksa hopes to enjoy meals without discomfort and attend school regularly.

Christine's Timeline

Funded by 1 donor

Treatment

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.