Ramona's Story

Ramona joined Watsi on March 12th, 2013. Three years ago, Ramona joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Ramona's most recent donation traveled 4,900 miles to support Gay, a 15-year-old boy from Burma, to fund surgery to heal a severe femur fracture so he can walk again.

Impact

Ramona has funded healthcare for 1301 patients in 20 countries.

Patients funded by Ramona

Gay is a fifteen-year-old resident of Burma, who lives in a village in a conflict area called Karen State with his parents and two older sisters. Gay's parents and one of his sisters work in subsistence farming and his other sister is still in school. Due to financial constraints, Gay tends to the family's cows instead of attending school. During his leisure time, he enjoys fishing and gathering vegetables. On the morning of November 13, Gay was in an accident while riding on his friend's tractor. He was seated next to the driver and fell off when the tractor hit a bump while descending a slope. The trailer being towed behind the tractor ran over his right thigh, resulting in a severe femur fracture. Currently, Gay experiences considerable pain and is unable to move his right leg. He requires assistance from his father for basic activities like using the bathroom. Fortunately, Gay was able to make it to Mae Sot General Hospital, a care center of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). Thanks to the support of BCMF, Gay is slated to undergo surgery on November 14th, to reset his fractured bones, allowing them to properly heal. BCMF is requesting $1500 to help fund this procedure. This surgical intervention holds the promise of enabling Gay to walk again without enduring pain. Expressing his gratitude, Gay's father shared, "When I heard that my son needs an expensive surgery, I felt hopeless. I did not know what to do and I felt so sad to see him in pain. When I learned from the doctor that donors will help pay for my son's treatment, I felt so happy that words cannot express how I felt. Thank you so much with all my heart for helping my son."

$1,500raised
Fully funded

Hapyness is a charming 9-month-old girl, born to hardworking farmers in the remote village of Igot, in the Ulanga district of Tanzania. Her family's daily life revolves around the cultivation of maize and millet, which not only sustains their meals, but also provides a modest income for the family’s necessities. Unfortunately, her father, who is advancing in age, cannot work extended hours, so her mother toils diligently on the farm, to ensure they yield bountiful harvests. Hapyness was born with a clubfoot, a condition in which the foot is abnormally twisted, making it difficult for her to crawl and eventuall to walk. At the time of her birth, the nurse in attendance recommended immediate medical attention. However, locating such specialized care in their isolated village proved to be impossible. After months of searching, Hapyness' father crossed paths with a young boy who had had a clubfoot which had been successfully treated, and he was able to provide Hapyness' father with the information he had been seeking. As a result of this meeting, Hapyness' parents brought her to the Plaster House, where her treatment will begin on October 6th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund Hapyness' clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to crawl and to walk comfortably as she grows. Hapyness’s mother says: “I am glad there is a chance for my daughter to get treatment. I hope she doesn't have to live with this disability for the rest of her life.”

$310raised
$625to go

Babi is a cute toddler from Ethiopia. He is an only child and loves to play with toy cars; he pushes the toy making the sound 'uuuuuvvvv', saying it's a car. His father, who has a 5th-grade education, used to work in the horticulture industry as a laborer, but he lost his wife a year back to tuberculosis and has been trying to balance everything on his own. After his mom's death, Babi had no one to take care of him besides his dad, so his dad decided to leave his job to take care of his child and try to get him the necessary treatment. Babi experienced a bowel obstruction, and he got three surgeries at Negele Arsi General Hospital, but he still had complications with his bowel. There is a small window for corrective surgery, but colostomy closure is preferred since the opening is too small. Babi's father has suffered with the whole process and feels he is highly affected psychologically as Babi cannot make a stool in a normal way. Earlier, Babi underwent a colostomy, in which the end of the colon is brought through an opening in the abdominal wall. This surgery is often performed to bypass bowel malformations, but colostomies are usually temporary and may call for closure. In Babi's case, his colostomy requires closure to restore bowel function and prevent future complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,009 to cover Babi's colostomy closure cost. Once completed, he can grow up more comfortably and confidently. Babi's dad said, "After he gets the treatment and heals, I hope he will go to school and lead a good life in the future."

$278raised
$731to go

Catherine is a three year old toddler and is the second child in a family of two children. She lives in Tanzania. She is a quiet and laid-back child who doesn’t speak much. She enjoys spending time with her mother, who is employed as a pharmacist. This sometimes requires her mother to take her to work. Catherine’s father is a carpenter, crafting furniture in Mpanda. Both parents work diligently to meet their family’s needs, but their income is limited, preventing them from covering substantial medical expenses. Catherine has clubfoot of both legs. She began displaying signs of bowed legs when she started walking. Her legs gradually bowed outward, and while the defect was mild, it worsened as she grew older. This condition causes discomfort when she walks, making it challenging to ascend stairs or squat. During one of our partner's outreach visits, the medical team had the opportunity to meet Catherine and her parents. After a brief assessment, the team diagnosed her with fluorosis and bilateral bowleggedness. Following our visit, the family was advised to seek treatment at the medical centre. In August, after a two-day journey, Catherine arrived at the centre. She quickly felt at ease, as she was familiar with some of the medical team members. Following an initial meeting, she was scheduled to see an orthopaedic surgeon. Fortunately, Catherine's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, The Plaster House NGO. There, the team will begin clubfoot treatment on September 14th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund Catherine's clubfoot repair. After treatment, her legs will be corrected and she can grow up active and healthy. Catherine’s mother says, “I wish my daughter to be better, this condition limits her so much and I feel sorry for her because she has a hard time keeping up with her friends.”

$305raised
$630to go