Harold F ZagunisUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Harold's Story

Harold joined Watsi on September 30th, 2021. Two years ago, Harold joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Harold's most recent donation supported Lekere, a 2nd grader from Kenya, to fund clubfoot repair surgery.

Impact

Harold has funded healthcare for 23 patients in 8 countries.

Patients funded by Harold

Rabira is a 20-month-old toddler from Ethiopia, who loves playing with his toy cars and laughing with his parents. Rabira's mother and father have separated, and his father has taken it upon himself to raise Rabira and his one sibling. Rabira's father, who had to leave school when he was young, is starting to attend night classes, so that he can gain more education, and find work that will provide for his family. Soon after he was born, Rabira's father noticed that Rabira suffered from problems going to the bathroom. He brought Rabira to the nearby health center for evaluation, where it was determined that he had been born with hypospadias. If his condition is left untreated, Rabira would continue to experience urinary dysfunction, and might develop cancer or fertility issues later on. Due to financial constraints, Rabira's parents were unable to access care for him at the local hospital. Fortunately, the family was referred to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, and now Rabira is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on October 24th, at BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre. African Mission Healthcare Foundation is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of Rabira's procedure and care. Rabira's mother said: “After the surgery, I hope he will be normal and pass urine normally as other children. And if he gets better I want him to go to school and graduate school. Become a person who earns well and supports himself. And when I get old I hope he will be able to support me.”

$551raised
$742to go

Four year old Neserian lives with his family in a village in the Manyara region of Tanzania. The family has long depended upon agriculture and livestock keeping to sustain them. However, climate change has shadowed their agricultural activities, rendering them increasingly unreliable. Consequently, Neserian’s father has turned to selling cattle to support his household. But drought has led to the cattle being unable to feed properly, so that they fetch considerably less money at the market. Neserian's father works hard to meet the needs of his family. In October 2022, Neserian was alone at home, when he ventured too close to an open flame. His clothing caught fire, and he suffered burns to his right elbow and wrist. The neighbors came to his aid, and when his mother returned home, she brought him to a local hospital for care. Neserian remained at the hospital for a month. Despite the care that he received, Neserian has only a limited range of motion of his right arm. Sadly, the local hospital lacks the resources to address this. Neserian and his father traveled for nine hours to consult with doctors from our medical partner's care center the Plaster House NGO. After a thorough assessment, it was determined that Neserian would need to undergo a Z-plasty procedure, to release his right axilla and elbow, along with a full thickness skin graft on his right hand. The pinky on his right hand will need to be amputated. The surgical procedures are set for August 15th but the cost of treatment is beyond the means of Neserian's family, prompting them to appeal for your assistance in covering the $1,088 needed for Neserian's care. After he has healed completely, Neserian will be able to use his hand, and lead a full life, free from disability. Neserian’s father says: “We wish for him to be able to use his hand because he is about to start school, and we are worried it will be hard for him as his right hand is the one affected.”

$340raised
$748to go

Kidus is a cute and playful little boy. He loves playing with toys and football with other children. His favorite food is Shiro (Ethiopian staple food) and meat. He also loves watching cartoons and is good at observing and imitating some characters from cartoon shows. He is the only child in the family. His dad is a tailor, employed at a local tailor shop. His father uses the little income to provide food for their family and pay rent. Kidus was born with a congenital anomaly called bladder exstrophy and he underwent surgery at BethanyKids with Watsi's support in 2021 to heal this condition. He was also born with a congenital anomaly called epispadias and has an inguinal hernia. Now he is scheduled for epispadias and right inguinal hernia repair. Epispadias impacts his ability to urinate and puts him at risk of future complications. Kidus is now much more playful than beforeand his family can see how intelligent he is. His family also shared how very much better psychologically they feel after his first treatment. But they are still worried about his urinary condition. He is now scheduled for the two surgeries that will take place simultaneously, and his family needs financial support. Kidus' father said, “Kidus means the world to me. To see him completely well will bring me so much joy. I want him to have a great personality with a kind heart; just like the amazing people helping him recover and become healthy. I really hope that he becomes a doctor in the future and helps those who are in need.”

$1,040raised
Fully funded