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Success! Marie-Yolande from Haiti raised $1,085 to fund a mastectomy procedure.

Marie-Yolande
100%
  • $1,085 raised, $0 to go
$1,085
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Marie-Yolande's treatment was fully funded on January 8, 2018.

Photo of Marie-Yolande post-operation

September 22, 2017

Marie-Yolande underwent a mastectomy procedure.

Marie-Yolande had a successful mastectomy. She is on the road to recovery. She is excited about her future and is extremely happy to be able to have this surgery. Once healed, Marie-Yolande will be able to take care of herself fully and become more independent.

She says, “I feel good and I’m happy with my decision. I’m excited to get back to my activities.”

Marie-Yolande had a successful mastectomy. She is on the road to recovery. She is excited about her future and is extremely happy to be able...

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August 26, 2017

Marie-Yolande is a 44 year-old woman from Haiti. She is the mother of two children and they all live together in Port-au-Prince. In her free time, she enjoys attending church. Before her illness, Marie-Yolande worked as a street merchant.

In December 2016, she began to experience a lot of pain in her breast. She went to the hospital, where she had a mammogram, multiple exams, and a biopsy. The results showed that Marie-Yolande had breast cancer.

After four sessions of chemotherapy, Marie-Yolande will have a mastectomy on August 27. Our medical partner, Innovating Health International, has requested $1,085 to fund Marie-Yolande’s procedure. This will cover the full cost of treatment, including a two-night hospital stay, medication, labs, radiology, physician and nurse time, and travel expenses.

After her surgery, Marie-Yolande hopes to become more independent and be healthy again.

Marie-Yolande is a 44 year-old woman from Haiti. She is the mother of two children and they all live together in Port-au-Prince. In her free...

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Marie-Yolande's Timeline

  • August 26, 2017
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    Marie-Yolande was submitted by Gaelle Mondestin at Innovating Health International.

  • August 27, 2017
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    Marie-Yolande received treatment at St. Luc Family Hospital in Haiti. 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.

  • September 21, 2017
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Marie-Yolande's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • September 22, 2017
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    Marie-Yolande's treatment was successful. Read the update.

  • January 8, 2018
    FULLY FUNDED

    Marie-Yolande's treatment was fully funded.

Funded by 19 donors

Funded by 19 donors

Treatment
Mastectomy
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $1,085 for Marie-Yolande's treatment
Hospital Fees
$815
Medical Staff
$0
Medication
$95
Supplies
$110
Travel
$10
Labs
$40
Radiology
$15
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

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

Patients present with lumps in the breast, dimpling of the skin, swelling in the armpit, or discharge from the nipple.

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

Breast cancer is a fatal disease. In Haiti, a mastectomy is the only option for treatment.

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

Because cancer care is a relatively recent option in Haiti, cancer is seen as a death sentence. Haitians are very hesitant to remove a part of their body for fear of social stigma. To minimize this fear, our medical partner offers breast reconstruction. Patients also receive counseling before and after surgery.

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

What does the treatment process look like?

Patients receive chemotherapy for several months either before or after surgery. The surgery lasts two hours and recovery lasts two weeks.

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

This treatment saves lives.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Patients might develop infections because many do not have access to clean water. To combat this possibility, patients are given bottles of wound cleanser. A few patients might develop permanent arm swelling. In some cases, cancer can recur.

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

In the entire country, there are only three options for cancer care. Through private doctors, a mastectomy can cost several thousand dollars. Many women move from doctor to doctor and exhaust all their savings.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

Without treatment, patients will likely pass away.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Saw Myo

Saw Myo is a 14-year-old from Burma. He lives with his grandparents, parents, two sisters, and brother. His grandparents are retired. His father farms paddy and rubber trees on their land, while his mother is a homemaker. Saw Myo and his siblings are all in school, but Saw Myo recently had to stop attending due to a medical condition. Saw Myo has had a lump on his lower spinal cord since he was nine years old due to an injury from a slingshot. He received medicinal ointment from a traditional healer that helped with the stiffness and prevented further growth. However, Saw Myo fell off his bicycle a few years later, and the lump grew in size. His family took him to several clinics, and an X-ray indicated a potential spinal cord problem. The doctors recommended a computerized tomography (CT) scan, but due to COVID-19 policies, Saw Myo could not receive the scan. His parents continued to try and help Saw Myo receive treatment but learned that his condition could not be treated locally. Saw Myo's mother then contacted a neighbor who worked as a medic at a clinic in Burma and began raising money for his care. The doctors want Saw Myo to undergo an MRI, which is an imaging procedure that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of bodily organs. This scan will help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is helping Saw Myo receive this treatment. On November 15th, he will undergo an MRI. BCMF requests $814 to cover the cost of Saw Myo's MRI procedure and care. Saw Myo's mother said: “We have been so worried since we saw the mass increasing in size. It was tiring to seek treatment in Burma, and we now have borrowed a lot of money without Saw Myo having received treatment."

45% funded

45%funded
$373raised
$441to go

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.