Nitesh MehrotraUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Nitesh's Story

Nitesh joined Watsi on July 14th, 2016. Seven years ago, Nitesh joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Nitesh's most recent donation supported Esther, a 37 year old small businesswoman from Kenya, to fund fracture repair surgery so she can get back to work.

Impact

Nitesh has funded healthcare for 81 patients in 13 countries.

Patients funded by Nitesh

Biruk is an adorable toddler from Ethiopia who loves to play and walk. He has recently started walking, and it seems like he only wants to explore the world on his feet. He also enjoys playing with other children, always eager to share their toys or try to claim some for himself. Being the only child in the family, he receives a lot of love and attention from his parents. Biruk's dad holds a university degree in agriculture, and his mom graduated from college with a diploma in ICT. Despite her educational background, she couldn't find a job in that field and now assists her husband with their farming endeavors. They were fortunate to receive a small farming land from their parents, and they work diligently to make a living from it. In addition to farming for their needs, they also purchase crops to sell, aiming to generate additional income and improve their economic situation. Although their income is modest, they work hard to support their family's daily necessities and strive to save up to purchase more land. Biruk was born with Hypospadias, a congenital abnormality which affects the male urinary opening. When he was just five months old, his parents took Biruk to a hospital for medical attention. The doctor mentioned that they would need a referral when the child reaches six months of age. Unfortunately, when they returned to the hospital later, they were informed that the doctor was unavailable, leaving them uncertain and frustrated. Without treatment, Biruk will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. Biruk is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery at AMH's care center on August 8th. AMH is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Biruk's mum said, “I will work hard to bring my child to a successful future once he receives the treatment and is healed. I hope he will be successful and lead a good life in the future.”

$504raised
$789to go

Rose is a 62-year-old widow with two fully grown children. She lost her husband four years ago. Rose owns a small business where she sells sand and also performs garden maintenance for a small fee. Rose gets support from both children, who are married with children themselves now. She lives with her second-born child in a three-bedroom house without water and electricity. Rose likes doing house chores and enjoys eating nsima, a culinary tradition of Malawi, made from maize flour with vegetables. In 2014, Rose started experiencing pain when she swallowed. She visited the hospital near her home, where she was treated. The treatment worked for awhile until December of last year when her daughter noticed that Rose's neck was swollen on the right side. In March, Rose noticed that the swelling was getting larger and also causing consistent pain. Rose decided it was time to visit Kamuzu Central Hospital in Malawi where a scan revealed her mass had grown substantially and was stemming from the right thyroid lobe. Her doctor diagnosed her with a goiter and determined that surgery would be needed. Due to her financial challenges, Rose could not afford the surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. Rose met with a surgeon who confirmed her diagnosis and the need for surgical intervention called a thyroidectomy, which removes part or all of the thyroid gland. Rose believes the surgery will help her to get better and prevent her symptoms from impacting her day to day life, and allow her to focus on how good her life is. She was able to contribute $10 toward her care and is grateful to all to help her raise the $1,015 needed. Rose said, “Thank you donors for supporting me, I want to live my normal life.”

$349raised
$666to go

Saw Kyaw is a 25-year-old man living in Thailand. He currently lives with his older sister, younger sister, mother and her niece. He moved from Burma to Thailand for job opportunities three years ago. He was working in a shop and was able to support two younger siblings who are studying in Karen State in Burma. Around the end of July, he was playing football with friends when he slipped trying to kick the ball. His lower right leg was very painful, but he was still able to bear weight lightly on that leg. At the time, Saw Kyaw didn’t have health insurance, so he went to a clinic instead of the hospital. There they examined his leg, gave him some medication for the pain and advised him to go to the hospital for an X-ray if the pain persisted. Saw Kyaw rested for two days and then went back to work. That day at work, Saw Kyaw was carrying a heavy load when he slipped again. This time, the pain was severe, and he was unable to stand on his right leg. He went to a hospital in Bangkok where they X-rayed his lower right leg and told him that the tibia was fractured. The doctor recommended surgery where they would use a metal rod to connect the bones and set them in the correct position to heal. Saw Kyaw was told that the surgery would cost between 40,000 to 50,000 baht (approx. 1,330- 1,660 USD). He told them that he did not have insurance and was unable to afford the surgery, so they gave him pain medication and bandaged up his leg. He returned to the hospital three times and each time the doctor recommended surgery, but Kyaw was unable to figure out how he could get that kind of money. His employer was not helpful and refused to assist with the cost of the surgery. Since Saw Kyaw didn’t have the money, he decided to just rest and see whether the bones would heal on their own. Saw Kyaw recalled that he had fractured his femur when he was young, and he had used a traditional medicated oil to help heal the injury. He hoped that he could use this on his new fracture. But now he cannot walk properly and cannot work since his accident. He is stressed about his condition and his future. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Saw Kyaw will finally undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for December 7th and will cost $1,500. He will able to go back to work after surgery Saw Kyaw said, “I would like to go back to Bangkok and find work again so I can go back to helping my family; my siblings who are studying in Burma, and also my mother who is getting older. I also want to save some money for my future. I will not work at the same place though as they have not been kind or caring since I had the accident.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded