Help Save my godmother's Life!

Hi, my name is Betty Araya, and I am fundraising for my godmother Workenesh Demeke.

Over a year ago, my godmother began to feel weak. A woman, whom we usually beg to slow down, grew unable to eat or complete basic tasks. She consistently went to the doctors yet could not get solace or physical relief. They told her she had a low platelet count and needed vitamins. We sent her medicine and nutritional supplements, unsure how else to support her. For over a year, her body continued to fail her. She slowly lost faith in Ethiopia's healthcare system and accepted she might pass. After pleas from loved ones, who could not match her courage, she went to the hospital once again. This time, she sent her results to my brother, who works as a research assistant at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB) Hospital. He showed her lab results to doctors he works with, and they were gracious enough to review them. Within a day, my brother's colleagues diagnosed her with MDS, Myelodysplastic Syndrome. A week later, doctors in Ethiopia came to the same conclusion, a sign of the country's weak healthcare capacity. My godmother’s test results showed she had little blood in her body, with zero platelets and a white blood cell count of 1,200. The average numbers for platelets are 200,000 and 50,000 for white blood cells. Additionally, she was utterly deficient in nearly every vitamin. The fact that she lived in this condition is a miracle.

Worknesh must get a bone marrow transplant very soon, a necessary procedure not available in Ethiopia. Her doctor has informed her that she will have to seek this procedure abroad as quickly as possible to survive. Her immune system is dangerously low, and a single bleed could be fatal. She was denied a visa to the United States and will be leaving for India the last week of December. As of Christmas Eve, we have raised $26,057 through this GoFundMe. We have already spent several thousand dollars on temporary treatments and medical supplies. The costs in India for treatment and travel are high and it is imperative we reach our donation goal. We are so grateful to everyone who has donated and ask that you continue to help us get my godmother through the last few miles of her tireless journey. All donations received will go towards her medical treatment and expenses. (Be mindful that the site asks for a tip at payment! Make sure you reduce the tip to your desired amount.)

Worknesh is known for her charitable deeds. She has dedicated her life to serving God and the less fortunate— a population she believes represents His Crucifixion. Since childhood, she has served Mahdere Sibhat Kidist Lideta Sunday School. Her latest efforts include her incredible work in the South Omo diocese for over 14 years. She inspires and uplifts everyone she comes in contact with. Her passion for service is a virtue that most of us strive for daily in our Christian lives.

As a student in development, I am convinced universal health care is a human right. It breaks my heart that people in my country are dying of preventable diseases. That people are suffering in silence from internal failures, invisible, like the illnesses that plague them. I cannot help everyone, but with your help, we can save my godmother. Please give what you can – I assure you she will pass it forward. Thank you.

Galatians 6:9: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”