Zane's Story

Zane joined Watsi on March 8th, 2021. One year ago, Zane joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Zane's most recent donation supported Sov, a retired widower from Cambodia, to fund cataract surgery so that he can see well again.

Impact

Zane has funded healthcare for 27 patients in 8 countries.

patients you have funded

Daw San is 64-year-old woman who lives with her daughter-in-law in a border town in Thailand. Originally from Burma, she moved to Thailand to live with her son and daughter-in-law after her daughter unfortunately passed away. Daw San is now retired and helps her family with cooking. At the end of 2020, Daw San began experiencing lower back pain and a fever. After receiving an ultrasound at a medical clinic, she was diagnosed with stones in her right kidney. The medic provided her with oral medication and follow-up appointments. At these appointments, she would receive an ultrasound and a refill of her medication. After feeling her symptoms improve, she did not return to the clinic. However, Daw San began experiencing strong pain in her lower abdomen and back this past June. She also began to experience dizziness, difficulty sleeping, a lack in appetite, and pain when using the restroom. After undergoing an ultrasound and X-ray, it was determined that Daw San has very large stones in her right kidney, which need to be broken up through laser treatment. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Daw San receive treatment. On August 3rd, surgeons will perform shockwave lithotripsy to break down and treat the kidney stones. Now, she needs help funding this $1,500 procedure. Daw San shares, “I am very happy to learn that an organization will help pay for the cost of my surgery. I am very thankful to the donors and the organization. When I recover fully, I will go back to my village in Bago Division to live with my aunt.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Paw is a 46-year-old woman who lives with her husband, son, and daughter in the refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province. Originally from the conflict area of Karen State, Burma, she and her family fled to the refugee camp due to conflict in their area. Today, her daughter goes to school in the camp, while her son stays home because he has an intellectual disability. In her free time, Paw enjoys gardening. Paw and her husband also raise chickens and grow vegetables to supplement their family's diet. Every month, their household receives 1,460 baht (approx. $49) on a cash card from an organization called The Border Consortium to support their day-to-day needs. Sometimes, Paw also receives pocket money from her other son, who works as a security guard in the refugee camp and lives with his wife and children. This amount is not enough to cover their daily needs, so they often have to purchase food on credit, which they pay back at the end of the month. They receive free basic health care at the hospital in the refugee camp, provided by Malteser International (MI) Thailand, but surgery there is not available. In early 2020, Paw started to experience pain in her lower abdomen. She also experienced severe back pain, dizziness and nausea when she ate. She went to the hospital in the refugee camp, where she was treated for a urinary tract infection (UTI). When the UTI kept returning, MI staff referred her to Mae Sariang Hospital for further treatment. Paw went to that hospital in February 2020, where she was diagnosed with a stone in her right kidney and acute pyelonephritis, a bacterial infection causing inflammation of the kidneys. She was admitted for five days and received treatment for the infection. Afterwards, she was referred to Chiang Mai Hospital (CMH) for further treatment for the kidney stone. In July 2020, MI staff brought Paw to CMH, where she received various x-rays. Doctors confirmed her diagnosis, but also diagnosed her with severe hydronephrosis, or a buildup of urine, in her right kidney. She received a catheter to drain urine from her kidney, and was brought back to CMH every three months to change the catheter. The doctor also scheduled Paw to have the stone removed from her right kidney on October 31st. Our partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is asking for financial assistance to help Paw pay for this surgery. Currently, Paw experiences pain and has difficulty sleeping. Traveling to the hospital regularly is also difficult for her family. Paw thinks a lot about her future and shared: “In the future I want to buy and raise a pig and more chickens. I do not want to be resettled in another country because I love living near my siblings. If they [my siblings] are resettled, I might go with them."

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Eliana is a friendly and talkative young girl from Tanzania. She is the firstborn child in a family of three. Her parents both work as small-scale farmers, and they depend entirely on what they harvest for their daily living. When Eliana was two years old, her parents noticed that her left leg was swelling up and that she would limp when walking. They initially thought she had fallen and hurt herself, so they took her to a local dispensary, where she was prescribed pain relieving medication. Eliana was eventually diagnosed with genu valgus, which is a malalignment of the knees. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Eliana struggles to stand and cannot walk more than four steps without either experiencing pain or falling down. This has resulted in her having to crawl most of the time in order to move from one place to another. In 2020, Eliana had corrective osteotomy surgery, which fortunately helped correct her legs to a point where she can now enjoy walking and playing with other children. However, she requires a second-stage procedure in order to remove her implant so her condition can heal entirely. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Eliana. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 11th. Treatment will allow Eliana's legs to completely heal, fully restoring her mobility, and greatly decreasing her risk of future complications. Eliana’s grandmother says, “The first surgery my granddaughter got helped ease her walking. I believe this next surgery will make her legs even better.’’

$880raised
Fully funded