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Success! Kesline from Haiti raised $1,085 to fund a mastectomy.

Kesline
100%
  • $1,085 raised, $0 to go
$1,085
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Kesline's treatment was fully funded on September 1, 2017.

Photo of Kesline post-operation

July 14, 2017

Kesline underwent a mastectomy.

Kesline had a successful mastectomy. She is feeling positive about her future and full of energy. She cannot wait to get back into her activities and become more independent.

She says, “I feel good so far and I’m happy that I got this surgery done and that everything went well.”

Kesline had a successful mastectomy. She is feeling positive about her future and full of energy. She cannot wait to get back into her activ...

Read more
June 14, 2017

Kesline is a 41-year-old mother of two who lives in Haiti. She likes going to church and is a strong believer in God. Although Kesline used to work as a street merchant, the interference of her illness with the heavy lifting required by her trade has forced her to stop.

Two years ago, Kesline felt a small mass in her right breast. After a multitude of tests and exams, she was eventually diagnosed with breast cancer. Ever since, Kesline has undergone 12 sessions of chemotherapy and has experienced extensive discomfort.

Kesline has spent all of her life’s savings on medical fees, tests, exams, and trips to different hospitals. Our medical partner, Innovating Health International, is therefore requesting $1,085 to fund a mastectomy for Kesline, which is scheduled to take place on June 14. Kesline is excited for this next step, hoping that, after surgery, she will have more energy, become more independent, and be able to take care of herself.

Kesline is a 41-year-old mother of two who lives in Haiti. She likes going to church and is a strong believer in God. Although Kesline used ...

Read more

Kesline's Timeline

  • June 14, 2017
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    Kesline was submitted by Gaelle Mondestin at Innovating Health International.

  • June 14, 2017
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    Kesline 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.

  • June 27, 2017
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Kesline's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • July 14, 2017
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    Kesline's treatment was successful. Read the update.

  • September 1, 2017
    FULLY FUNDED

    Kesline's treatment was fully funded.

Funded by 1 donor

Profile 48x48 dsc 0672

Funded by 1 donor

Profile 48x48 dsc 0672
Treatment
Mastectomy
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $1,085 for Kesline'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.

Prossy

Prossy is a hospital cleaner and a mother of three children, all of whom are currently studying. After completing high school, she joined a nursing school to pursue a certificate in midwifery. Unfortunately, her father, who was paying her school fees, passed away while she was in her second year. Due to financial constraints, she had to drop out of nursing school. However, her passion for caring for the sick never faded, and she decided to become a cleaner, a job she has held for over 25 years at a local health center. Prossy's husband is a farmer, and they live in a two-roomed house. Their income is not sufficient to cover the cost of her surgery, and she is, therefore, appealing for support. For the last five years, Prossy began to experience troubling symptoms, including shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, palpitation, and pain while swallowing. Concerned about her health, Prossy sought medical attention and went to a local health center. She needed specialized care and was referred to Nyakibale hospital where surgery was recommended. She was diagnosed with a bilateral goiter and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Prossy receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 7th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Prossy says: “I hope to get healed and have normal health like any other person once I am given your support to undergo surgery.”

7% funded

7%funded
$20raised
$232to go
Mark

Mark is a 2-year-old boy, His mother works as a teacher, while the father owns a small business of selling thrift shoes around town. However, ever since the lock down period during the COVID-19 pandemic, their business has been slow, thus, reducing their household income. The past year has been the most difficult for them, and they are unable to raise funds to seek medical treatment for their son. Last year, while playing with his friends, Mark accidentally pulled on a flask of hot water resulting in the water spilling and burning most parts of his arms and stomach. Following the accident, his mother applied honey and a raw egg on the wound as first aid and then rushed him to the hospital. Mark was given ointments to help the wound heal, but his mother was led to believe that applying mashed cassava mixed with honey would help Mark’s wound heal faster and better compared to the medicine he was given at the hospital. Two months after the incident, Mark no longer had an open wound, but the skin around the fingers of his right hand was badly damaged. Burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around the burn. Now it is difficult for him to use his right hand. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Mark receive treatment. On March 3rd, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to increase the functionality of his fingers. Now, he needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Mark’s mother says, “Sometimes I wonder if not following the doctor’s advice is the reason my son’s hand is the way it is, and I’m the one responsible for that.”

0% funded

0%funded
$0raised
$874to go

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Prossy

Prossy is a hospital cleaner and a mother of three children, all of whom are currently studying. After completing high school, she joined a nursing school to pursue a certificate in midwifery. Unfortunately, her father, who was paying her school fees, passed away while she was in her second year. Due to financial constraints, she had to drop out of nursing school. However, her passion for caring for the sick never faded, and she decided to become a cleaner, a job she has held for over 25 years at a local health center. Prossy's husband is a farmer, and they live in a two-roomed house. Their income is not sufficient to cover the cost of her surgery, and she is, therefore, appealing for support. For the last five years, Prossy began to experience troubling symptoms, including shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, palpitation, and pain while swallowing. Concerned about her health, Prossy sought medical attention and went to a local health center. She needed specialized care and was referred to Nyakibale hospital where surgery was recommended. She was diagnosed with a bilateral goiter and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Prossy receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 7th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Prossy says: “I hope to get healed and have normal health like any other person once I am given your support to undergo surgery.”

7% funded

7%funded
$20raised
$232to go