Julie and Newt Kerney, loving grandparents, have cultivated a culture of empathy and generosity within their family. With three children—Joshua, Ben, and Carlyn—the Kerneys nurture a deep-rooted commitment to making a difference in the world.
"They (Julie and Newt) have worked hard to teach their three children and three in-law children generosity and how all of us can continue to pass that onto our kids." Renee Kerney (Joshua's wife)
"We were introduced to Watsi by our son, Ben, whose friend was working on their start-up in about 2012 (Hi Jesse! 👋). Ben had gifted us a Watsi donation. We were impressed that we could select a patient, know what would be needed to provide their care, and track the progress of donations. We see the power of bringing together many small donations to change lives. Watsi is transparent in sharing patient outcomes, whether positive or a struggle. In our own family we continue to see the growth in understanding the needs and struggles of those living lives in which accessing medical care is extremely difficult because of availability or cost. Because of our daughter, Carlyn’s volunteer work in Tanzania, we have mostly focused our donations in Tanzania. Her trip with her father to Tanzania really brought the Watsi program home as Newt and Carlyn were able to meet in person the baby Josh and his daughter, Eleanor selected for Josh’s birthday gift just weeks before. Small world," shares Julie, her warmth evident in her words.
"Newt and I feel it is important to help our grandchildren have a global understanding and compassion for those who do not have access to what we consider basic in our lives - medical care when needed. We are working at teaching the grands that Christmas, and sometimes, other occasions, are about giving as much as getting. They truly are learning!
For Christmas in 2023, since four of our grandchildren are now over 7 years old and Carlyn and Davey's daughter Mildred June is 3 years old , our “something to share” gift to our 5 grandchildren was support for knee surgery for a Masai boy Lawamutwe, who had knee surgery at the hospital in Arusha. Each child received a gift card with the boy’s picture, a simple explanation of his health condition, how it would impact his life and family, and how the surgery would help him. We understand what his disability means for his life and his family. He would never be able to herd for the family and village."
The Kerney's son, Ben Cullen-Kerney, met Watsi through a friend:
"I was introduced to Watsi about twelve years ago when a friend shared this unique healthcare non-profit that he had been working on in a startup incubator.
Because Watsi makes it easy to give and easy to share, it became a go-to gift for others, and I would always point out the transparency spreadsheet shared in the footer of watsi.org.
One year we did a Watsi campaign on my birthday and I was shocked by the response from family and coworkers—the transparency in operations and patient outcomes (happy and sad) makes it easy to trust and understand Watsi, and to feel connected to patients in a personal way." shared Ben Cullen-Kerney, who joined our Universal Fund community this year!
If this all wasn't already inspiring, we were so touched to hear from Calvin & Asher's mom, Georgiana Cullen-Kerney (Ben's wife), who shared how her sweet (and entrepreneurial) kids sold rocks for weeks to neighbors & folks out walking their dogs 🐶 to raise money to support Nimo's surgery—how AWESOME are these kids!
"The Kerneys have held a special place for Watsi for many years" - Georgiana Cullen-Kerney
Even Asher (now 7 years old) understands that our actions can make a big difference in the lives of others. He said he really wanted to see Nimo feel better soon because of her blocked intestine.
"I hope that the people are okay, like Nimo, and get help soon." - Asher Cullen-Kerney (Age 7)
"Helping others and being kind is one of the most important things to do." - Calvin Cullen-Kerney (Age 9)
Seeing the next generation inspire the world like this gives us hope for a brighter future ☀️ & a reason to celebrate what a special community we've built together. ⤵️
Whether you're 5 or 105, we all have the ability to impact someone else's life. So when you tell even one friend or family member about Watsi, share a tweet to spread the word, or start your very own campaign to rally your neighbors and community - we hope you know that each SMALL ACTION creates a MASSIVE IMPACT for our patients around the world.
Carlyn (née Kerney) Welch, the youngest daughter, is a former Watsi volunteer writer and this is her story:
"I started volunteering for Watsi in 2014 as a story content writer. In 2015, I gave a Watsi gift card to my brother, Josh. With the help of his four-year-old daughter, Eleanor, Josh selected two patients to support with the gift card. One of those patients was Joseph, an infant from Tanzania who was born with hydrocephalus. My experience with Watsi came full circle with that donation. At the time, I was working with a Tanzanian NGO in the northern part of the country and was visiting Tanzania with my father, Newt. We visited the Kafika House, formally The Plaster House, where many Watsi patients receive rehabilitation and rest. After an inspiring afternoon spent with joyful children who were recovering after procedures including treatment for burns, bowed legs, and hydrocephalus, we visited the hospital at which Joseph was recovering from his Watsi-funded procedure. Within minutes, we were brought to Joseph’s hospital room and introduced to baby Joseph and his mother. It was truly a surreal experience. I had been volunteering with Watsi for about a year and had only experienced patients through the information and photos we received. Meeting Joseph and his mother brought the truest reality to work that had otherwise been behind the scenes and shared digitally through stories."
"Our journey with Watsi began with a Father’s Day gift that my sister, Carlyn, gave to me in 2015," begins Joshua Kerney.
"After getting home from work that evening, I sat down with my wife, Renee, and our 4-year-old daughter, Eleanor (now twelve!), to read through the stories of those in need. After reading and talking about the many children on the Watsi website, we decided to support two young boys, Emmanuel and Joseph. We followed along with their funding and progress as time went along and in one of those small world moments, Carlyn was able to meet and spend time with Joseph and his mother on a visit to Tanzania.
Over the years, we would continue to make donations to Watsi but it wasn’t until this past Christmas that we decided to do something different. We wanted to share the story of Watsi and the power of giving with our friends and family. So, rather than sending out Christmas cards detailing what the four of us were up to in 2023, we decided to send out invitations to generosity. We sent out 50 gift cards, each with the opportunity to learn more about Watsi and make a difference in the life of someone in need.
Oh, the joy that ensued. Every time a gift card was redeemed, we received a notification that a life-changing donation had been completed. Often, friends and family would send us messages letting us know who they chose to support. There were even instances like our first experience with Watsi, where young children of the family would see the needs of children half a world away and would make the decision to show care and support for them.
We are grateful for Watsi and the impact it has made in our lives and look forward to continuing to participate in the life-affirming gift of generosity.
With Love,
Josh, Renee, Eleanor, and Fischer"
Thank you to the Kerney Family and all the families around the world who make Watsi a meaningful part of how you spread compassion, kindness, and hope. Your stories remind us that generosity knows no bounds, and it is through small actions and big hearts that we can start ripples of positive change for our world. The future is bright!
The Watsi Team
Everyone deserves healthcare.