Uday Kiran MedisettyUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Uday's Story

Uday joined Watsi on March 18th, 2016. Seven years ago, Uday joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Uday's most recent donation traveled 8,300 miles to support Ma Pyae, a woman from Burma, to fund life-saving heart surgery.

Impact

Uday has funded healthcare for 83 patients in 11 countries.

Patients funded by Uday

Ma Pyae lives with her mother, brother, sister, and niece in Yangon Division, Burma. She works in a sewing factory, her younger sister is a day laborer, and her older brother is unemployed due to illness. Her mother is a homemaker, and her niece is a student. Their combined family income is enough to cover their daily expenses, but they cannot afford expensive surgery. Ma Pyae was born with a congenital heart defect, but her condition has deteriorated, and she has experienced fast breathing, heart palpitations, and cannot sleep. She went to see the doctor, received an echocardiogram, and was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect that affects the blood flowing through the lungs. Ma Pyae needs surgery as soon as possible. She still experiences heart palpitations and fast breathing if she is more active or walks a longer distance. She cannot sleep well at night because of her heart palpitations. Ma Pyae said, "I am a bit worried about my surgery, and I also worry that I will lose my job in the factory. After I recover from my surgery, I will continue to work in the same factory and contribute to my family."

$638raised
$862to go

Naw Say, a 30-year-old woman, resides in a refugee camp located in Mae Hong Son Province with her husband and daughter. Originally from Burma, they sought refuge in 2010 due to conflict in their homeland. Naw Say works as a nurse in the camp while her husband is employed as a day laborer in a nearby Thai village. They receive a monthly cash card payment of 848 baht (approximately 28 USD) from The Border Consortium, which barely covers their daily expenses. The organization Malteser International (MI) Thailand provides them with essential healthcare services at the camp's hospital. In her leisure time, Naw Say enjoys sewing clothes for her family. Currently pregnant with her second child, Naw Say's doctors have advised her to undergo a scheduled cesarean section (C-Section). This recommendation is based on her previous childbirth experience where her first baby's head couldn't pass through her pelvis opening, necessitating an emergency C-Section. Our partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping facilitate Naw Say's C-Section procedure on August 5th, and is requesting $1500 to help fund the procedure. Naw Say is in need of your support for this important medical procedure. Naw Say said, “I want to have a boy this time because I already have a daughter. I love being a nurse and I enjoy taking care of people who are sick."

$704raised
$796to go

Hlaing is a 55-year-old man from Thailand who lives with his wife, two sons, mother-in-law, and grandson. He is a construction worker, but he stopped working five months ago due to his health deteriorating. In his free time, Hlaing enjoys listening to music and taking walks in the forest to gather wood for the house. In February, Hlaing noticed a mass developing in his right nostril, which has grown big enough to block the nostril completely. He experiences difficulty breathing due to his right nostril being obstructed by the mass, has persistent coughing and loss of appetite, and sometimes has hot and watery eyes. He underwent a CT scan and was diagnosed with an inverted papilloma in his right nasal cavity, meaning that he has a non-cancerous tumor in the right side of his nose. Hlaing sought treatment through our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) and is scheduled to undergo surgery to remove the mass from his nose on July 12th. Hlaing and his family need help to raise $1,500 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. Hlaing said, “Thank you BCMF and the donors for paying for my treatment. I can’t afford it by myself. I have wanted to receive the surgery. I am happy to get support from you.”

$1,036raised
$464to go

Dormaha is a four year old preschooler from Haiti. She lives with her parents in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, and likes dancing and watching cartoons. Dormaha suffers from a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. Blood leaks through a hole that exists between the two lower chambers of her heart, bypassing her lungs without obtaining the oxygen Dormaha requires. She needs surgery to prevent her from experiencing the weakness and shortness of breath that she currently lives with. The surgery that Dormaha needs is not currently available in Haiti, so she will be flying to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment. Fortunately, on May 18th, she will undergo cardiac surgery at Hospital CEDIMAT, during which surgeons will sew a patch over the hole to close it. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is contributing $8,000 to pay for the surgery. However, Dormaha's family also needs help to fund the costs of many other aspects of Dormaha's care. They are seeking $1,500 to pay for the lab tests, medicines, checkup and follow-up appointments, that are all part of Dormaha's critical treatment. This money will also go towards obtaining passports, and for the social workers from our medical partner, who will accompany Dormaha's family overseas during her care. Dormaha's mother said: "Our family has been hoping for this surgery ever since our daughter was a small baby, and we are very glad the chance has arrived!"

$752raised
$748to go

Nekanisa is a jovial and social 11-year-old girl. She attends Marlal primary school in Kenya and loves reading and playing with her friends. She aspires to become a nurse in the future and help hospital patients. Nekanisa is the child of a single mother, who depends upon farming to earn a living. Nekanisa was healthy at birth. However, about one year ago, she developed a problem with her leg that led to the contortion of her right knee, greatly affecting her mobility. Nekanisa visited Loitoktok General Hospital in Kajiado County for review, but due to financial challenges, she was discharged before she could be treated. As she walks with a lot of discomfort and is unable to run, Nekanisa sought help from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. She is now scheduled to undergo a distal femur osteotomy on May 8th at AIC Cure International Hospital. She needs your help to fund this $1,224 procedure, which will enable her to walk pain-free. “I am requesting support from the donors to help me undergo surgery so that my foot can be corrected and I can resume my usual walking style,” Nekanisa told us.

$665raised
$559to go

Aung, who is 25 years old, lives with his mother, brother and two sisters in Burma. His mother is retired, and his brother is a security guard. One of his sisters works at a bicycle factory, while the other one works for a local company. Aung is currently unemployed because of his poor health. In October 2022, Aung fell ill and developed a persistent cough. He went to a charity hospital, where he was told that he had a heart infection. After he was treated with injected antibiotics, the doctor told him that he needed an echocardiogram, because he might have a heart condition due to the infection. After the echo was completed, he was diagnosed with mitral valve regurgitation, and he was referred to a cardiologist in Yangon. Aung went to see the cardiologist, who told him that he would need surgery, which he could not afford. On December 25, 2022, both of Aung's legs and his arms became swollen, and he was unable to sleep. He went to a private hospital, where it was determined that he would need surgery as soon as possible. Currently, Aung feels extremely fatigued, experiences chest pains, and has difficulty breathing. Sometimes, his legs and his arms become swollen, and he cannot sleep well at night. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 for the mitral valve replacement surgery that Aung needs. The procedure is currently scheduled to take place on April 2nd, at Pun Hlaing Hospital. "In the future, I want to work as a taxi driver, because I believe that I could easily earn money doing this [in the city]," said Aung.

$847raised
$653to go

Caleb is a playful and talkative 3-year-old boy from Kenya. He is an only child, and his mother works as a casual laborer at a local hotel. Currently, due to his clubfoot, Caleb cannot stand without assistance. He can roll over, but cannot yet walk or crawl. Caleb has clubfoot in both feet, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This can cause difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Caleb traveled to visit our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, for treatment. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on March 14th. African Mission Healthcare Foundation is requesting $1,286 to fund Caleb's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to stand, walk and continue playing with other children. “I am appealing to people of goodwill to help my son undergo surgery to gain strength and walk on his feet,” Caleb's mother said.

$711raised
$575to go

Daw Nan is a 64-year-old woman from Myanmar. She lives with her husband in a village in Karen State. Her husband is retired and she occasionally works as an agricultural day laborer. She also grows cashews in her garden and sells what she harvests once a year. Sometimes, her daughter, who works in Thailand, sends her pocket money. In her free time, she likes to go to the temple and meditate. Currently, she can only perceive light with her right eye and the vision in her left eye is starting to blur. She cannot see people's faces with her right eye, and her left eye is sensitive to light. Because of her poor vision, she can only walk slowly because she is worried that she will trip and fall. She also feels stressed about her vision problem, and she has lost weight and has little appetite. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Daw Nan. On February 10th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Daw Nan's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Daw Nan said, "Since the vision in my right eye worsened and I noticed that the vision in my left eye is worsening, I feel stressed at all times. I cannot work properly as my [left] eye hurts and waters when it is bright outside. I feel sad. Even though I eat, I have a poor appetite and I have lost weight. I will be very happy if I can see again after my surgery."

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Abel, who is 11 months old, lives with his parents in La Paz. He is his parents' first child. Abel was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. Because of this, a hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through Abel's lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. Abel's parents sought the help of our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, and now Abel is scheduled for surgery on January 16th, at Hospital del Niño Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uria. During surgery, doctors will sew the hole shut, so that blood will no longer leak out. This procedure should enable Abel to grow into a healthy young boy. Abel's mother said: "Our family is praying that our son will be strong and healthy after this surgery!"

$1,500raised
Fully funded

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

Aung is a six-year-old student from Thailand. He lives with his parents and brother. His mother works at a factory, his father is a homemaker, and his brother goes to school. In his free time, Aung likes to play with his toys and watch cartoon movies on the television. Aung has cataract in his right eye. As a result, he can only see light with that eye, and his eye is very sensitive and irritated. Fortunately, on November 15th, Aung will undergo lens replacement surgery, during which surgeons will remove Aung's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is requesting $1,500 to this surgery for Aung. Aung's mother shared: “We do not have money to treat him ourselves. My son is so lucky to be treated through the help of donors."

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Agnes is a college student and is in her final year pursuing an architectural course. She lives with her parents and is the second born in a family of three children, all of whom are in school and rely on their parents for school fees and upkeep. Her father is a carpenter in their hometown, Kimende, and his income is inconsistent and not enough to cover the cost of the required surgery. Her mother is a small-scale farmer. Agnes was heading home in the evening last night when she remembers hearing screams and was hit by an unknown motorist from behind. She has no recollection of what happened after that. She lost consciousness and could not recognize her surroundings. She was brought to our medical partner's care center Kijabe Hospital and had an x-ray that revealed a left distal femur fracture. Doctors have recommended an urgent fracture repair surgery since the wound is open and she is in extreme pain. Today, she has regained her consciousness but cannot sit or walk due to the fracture. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner are here to help. On October 14th, Agnes will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help get rid of the pain and she will eventually be able to sit and walk easily again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Agnes says, “I am in so much pain and I cannot walk. I don’t remember what happened, I just found myself bedridden with lights all over. I am unable to go back home because of the fracture.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded