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Success! Mary from Kenya raised $641 to fund thyroid surgery.

Mary
100%
  • $641 raised, $0 to go
$641
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Mary's treatment was fully funded on July 11, 2019.

Photo of Mary post-operation

April 6, 2019

Mary underwent thyroid surgery.

Mary underwent successful surgery. She is recovering well and has returned home.

She says, “I am very thankful for assisting me to pay for my surgery, God bless you all.”

Mary underwent successful surgery. She is recovering well and has returned home. She says, “I am very thankful for assisting me to pay f...

Read more
March 28, 2019

Mary is a farmer from Kenya. She is married and a mother of seven children.

In 1998, Mary began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck swelling, difficulty swallowing, and breathing. She was diagnosed with a multinodular goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse.

Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Mary receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 28 at our medical partner’s care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $641, and she and her family need help raising money.

Mary is a farmer from Kenya. She is married and a mother of seven children. In 1998, Mary began to experience troubling symptoms, i...

Read more

Mary's Timeline

  • March 28, 2019
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    Mary was submitted by Joan Kadagaya, Curative Medical Support Program-Partner Representative at African Mission Healthcare.

  • March 28, 2019
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    Mary received treatment at AIC Kapsowar 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.

  • March 29, 2019
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Mary's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • April 6, 2019
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    Mary's treatment was successful. Read the update.

  • July 11, 2019
    FULLY FUNDED

    Mary's treatment was fully funded.

Funded by 20 donors

Funded by 20 donors

Treatment
Thyroidectomy
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $641 for Mary's treatment
Hospital Fees
$227
Medical Staff
$247
Medication
$50
Supplies
$86
Labs
$31
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

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

Patients in need of a thyroidectomy often present with a small thyroid growth (nodule or cyst), a thyroid gland that is so overactive it is dangerous (thyrotoxicosis), cancer of the thyroid, noncancerous (benign) tumors of the thyroid that are causing symptoms, or thyroid swelling (nontoxic goiter) that makes it hard to breathe or swallow. Patients in need of thyroid surgery often present with nervousness, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, hand tremor, excessive sweating, weight loss, and sleep problems, among other symptoms.

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

The thyroid gland is an organ located in the front of your neck. It releases hormones that control your metabolism (the way your body uses energy), breathing, heart rate, nervous system, weight, body temperature, and many other functions in the body. When the thyroid gland is overactive (hyperthyroidism), the body’s processes speed up and you may experience nervousness, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, hand tremor, excessive sweating, weight loss, and sleep problems, among other symptoms.

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

Thyroid disorders are relatively common in the African continent. Iodine deficiency, although still the commonly documented cause of thyroid disorders in Africa, is not as rampant as it used to be. There is a compelling need to set up thyroid disorder registries in order to determine not only the scope of the burden of these disorders, but also to document changing trends, if any, especially given the background of widespread iodization programs. Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine cancer, and its incidence has continuously increased in the last three decades all over the world. This trend is present on every continent except Africa, where detection is possibly insufficient.

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

What does the treatment process look like?

Thyroid surgery takes approximately three to eight hours depending on the patient. Patients will stay in the hospital for a maximum of six to eight weeks or as needed for recovery. A patient will usually have one follow-up appointment in six weeks.

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

In case of thyroid cancer, the surgery is the patient’s best chance of preventing the spread of cancer and saving the patient’s life. In cases of hyperthyroidism, the treatment helps stabilize the hormones that regulate metabolism and effectively treat some of the patient's symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, anxiety etc.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Thyroid surgery is often 90% curative should diagnosis be done early. For benign tumors and hyperthyroidism, the surgery is more than 90% curative. The surgery comes with few risks.

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

The hospital is a mission hospital in a remote area and patients may come from far away to access treatment.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

In Kenya, surgery is the only treatment offered for thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism. This is because radiotherapy and medication alternatives are not easily accessible. Also, the cost of treating with radiotherapy and medication is higher than that of surgery.

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.