Stephanie A WilliamsUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Stephanie's Story

Stephanie joined Watsi on January 29th, 2015. Nine years ago, Stephanie joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Stephanie's most recent donation traveled 8,500 miles to support Mark, an upbeat kid from Kenya, to fund clubfoot repair surgery.

Impact

Stephanie has funded healthcare for 105 patients in 12 countries.

Patients funded by Stephanie

Tha Zin is a 43-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives in a refugee camp in Tak Province with her husband and two sons. Tha Zin and her husband run a shop in the refugee camp. Their total monthly income is not enough to cover their basic expenses, and sometimes Tha Zin needs to borrow money with interest from her neighbor for her children’s school expenses. Tha Zin shared that in her free time she loves reading the Bible, praying, and knitting hats for her family. In 2022, Tha Zin started to experience pain when sitting. She also experienced bleeding in a sensitive area. In the refugee camp, they receive free basic health care from the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Tha Zin went to the hospital in the refugee camp, where they completed a physical examination, diagnosed her with severe hemorrhoids, and provided her with basic medication. While Tha Zin took the medication, she felt relieved, but after she finished her medication, the pain worsened, and she experienced increased swelling and inflammation. As time went on, the pain worsened. She felt it was harder to stand up, walk or sit. Currently, Tha Zin feels like she has less energy and has difficulty completing her everyday tasks. She also experiences difficulty sleeping due to her worries about her condition. Tha Zin sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo surgery on June 2nd at our partner's care center. Tha Zin needs your help to raise $1,500 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. Tha Zin said, “Because of my illness, I had to close my shop and leave my two children with my relatives. So, I worry about them. But I am thankful to those who will support my surgery because I cannot afford to pay for it by myself. When I recover, I will reopen my shop and pay back my debt that I borrowed for my children’s school expenses. If my family has the opportunity to do so, I want us to be resettled in a new country one day.”

$763raised
$737to go

Evans is a 22-year-old from Kenya who just completed his training as a plant operator with the National Youth Service. He will be looking for jobs as a plant operator but is currently unable to work and depends on his parents for support. His mother is a hairdresser, and his father is a casual laborer. Evans was in a bad accident in April and had to use his mother’s medical insurance, but their coverage is now exhausted. Evans shared that he has a large medical bill that they are struggling to raise money for, and he still needs to undergo two more procedures and is requesting financial support. On April 30th, Evans was involved in a road accident while traveling for a site-seeing visit that caused him to sustain hip and wrist fractures. The bus he and the other youth members from his church were in was involved in a head-on collision with an oncoming truck that was speeding. Evans has undergone multiple surgeries, including ex-fixator placement for a pelvic fracture, laparotomy surgery, and minor bowel repair surgery. His treatment journey is ongoing, with two more fracture repair surgeries scheduled. Currently, it is difficult for him to walk or use his left hand; he is bedridden and in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On May 16th, Evans will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk, sit, and restore grip on his hand. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Evans says, “I am lucky to be alive. It is a miracle considering the magnitude of the accident. I hope to walk again and be a productive citizen now that I have recently finished my training.”

$1,500raised
Fully funded