Read our powered by our community 🙌 Check out our 🙌
Meet another patient

Watsi logo blueWatsi

Success! Esther from Kenya raised $979 to fund surgery for a fractured ankle so she can return to her studies and walk again.

Esther
100%
  • $979 raised, $0 to go
$979
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Esther's treatment was fully funded on February 10, 2023.

Photo of Esther post-operation

February 28, 2023

Esther underwent surgery for a fractured ankle so she can return to her studies and walk again.

Esther had a successful surgery. She was discharged home and received advice for exercises that will help ensure a full recovery. She will be able to fully use her legs again once healed.

Esther says, “I hope to walk again now that I have received the surgery. I can now go back to school.”

Esther had a successful surgery. She was discharged home and received advice for exercises that will help ensure a full recovery. She will b...

Read more
January 4, 2023

Esther is a 22 year old woman, living in Kenya. She is currently in her final year of school, pursuing a course in hospitality. Esther is supported by her mother, a widow, who runs a small grocery.

Two weeks ago, Esther slipped on a staircase and broke her left ankle. At the local facility where Esther was initially taken, she was administered pain medication. An X-ray was performed at a second facility, and it was recommended that Esther undergo surgery to repair the fracture. Esther chose to visit the doctors at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, and now she is scheduled for surgery on January 5th, at AIC Kijabe Hospital. While Esther is currently unable to walk without support and without pain, the scheduled fracture repair surgery should restore her mobility. Now she needs your help to cover the $979 cost of the procedure.

Esther says: “I am unable to go to school due to the fracture. I cannot walk and need the surgery to be able to use my leg again.”

Esther is a 22 year old woman, living in Kenya. She is currently in her final year of school, pursuing a course in hospitality. Esther is s...

Read more

Esther's Timeline

  • January 4, 2023
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    Esther was submitted by Ruth Kanyeria, SAFE Program Coordinator at African Mission Healthcare.

  • January 9, 2023
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    Esther received treatment at AIC Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.

  • January 11, 2023
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Esther's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • February 10, 2023
    FULLY FUNDED

    Esther's treatment was fully funded.

  • February 28, 2023
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    Esther's treatment was successful. Read the update.

Funded by 14 donors

Funded by 14 donors

Treatment
ORIF Mandible/Simple
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $979 for Esther's treatment
Hospital Fees
$688
Medical Staff
$29
Medication
$27
Supplies
$172
Labs
$16
Other
$47
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

​What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

This procedure corrects a severe, poorly aligned fracture where the ends of affected bones are far apart. Such a fracture may occur anywhere in the body (leg, hip, arm, jaw, etc) usually as a result of trauma. Common symptoms include extreme pain, inability/difficulty in using limbs, and deformed limbs.

​What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

A non-union leads to chronic disability, pain, and inability to work.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

Car/motorcycle taxi accidents are the number one cause. Work-related accidents and violence are others. The condition is more common largely because African roads (particularly Kenyan roads, where this procedure is approved) are among some of the most dangerous in the world.

  • Process
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Risks and side-effects
  • Accessibility
  • Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

In general, an ORIF (open-reduction internal-fixation) procedure uses rods or plates to bring multiple parts of bone together and help them heal correctly.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

Curative. An ORIF fixes the broken bone, restoring it to complete function and enabling the patient to be able to work.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

This procedure has medium surgical risk but most trauma patients are young and tolerate the procedure well. Overall, the risk of surgery is less than the risks of the alternative (traction), or doing nothing. There is a risk of the metal becoming infected, which would require antibiotics and perhaps removal of the hardware and a second surgery.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

There are few quality orthopedic centers in developing countries. Often patients have received initial care for a fracture at another hospital and may have been placed in “traction.” This involves placing the affected limb in a cast under tension for prolonged periods to try to re-align the bones. Those who have funds try to make their way to a place like Kijabe Hospital. Most patients seen in Kijabe who are in need of an ORIF are patients who have been mismanaged in other hospitals. Usually, those hospitals lack adequate resources and expertise to treat them.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

As mentioned, traction is an alternative for some — but not all — cases. And traction requires a patient to be in the hospital, immobile, for months — leading not only to lost wages but risk of bedsores, blood clots, and hospital-acquired infections.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.