Medfund is a community of heroes

Coming from a vast number of countries across the world, each with incredibly diverse backgrounds, yet all passionate about the same cause: helping those who are in desperate need.

Volunteers with the bolivian flag

What we do.

There are thousands of people in South America who experience health issues because they lack the ability to finance their own healthcare, from basic services like purchasing the appropriate medicine, to finding an affordable doctor. In many cases a minimal amount of money can relieve these patients of their illness, but at extreme poverty levels many are left choosing between buying food and buying medicine. Numerous cases go unreported, and many people pass away from a lack of financial resources rather than the seriousness of the illness.

Medfund is a nonprofit program whose objective is to save lives and to help alleviate and reduce suffering. The model is simple: find patients, evaluate their needs, share their story, crowdfund donations, and pay for their most pressing needs. Medfund assists patients throughout their hospital experience, visiting them regularly until they are healthy and able.

Medfund differentiates itself from other local organisations by establishing a real relationship with patients and donors, and ensuring that 100% of a donor's contribution goes to their selected patient.

The volunteer team after a long day

Volunteers and a community

Our story, from Joey.

Medfund began in La Paz in 2014, as a program of Cup of Cold Water Ministries. In 2017 Zoomin.TV filmed Joey there for its "Local Heroes" series: how patients are found, how a few hundred dollars can decide whether someone lives, and why he keeps going. 3 min, with English subtitles. The timeline below tells the rest, year by year.

Local Heroes: Medfund. Zoomin.TV, 2017.

Year by year.

2014
It starts with a $500 operation
In November, Joey Kittelson and Patrick Prömmel meet a man in La Paz who cannot afford a $500 operation. In December they establish Medfund in the city, as a program of Cup of Cold Water Ministries, which had long wanted a medical fund for Bolivia.
2015
Three cities, 500 patients
The 100th patient in June, a man whose leg operation and recovery Medfund covers. Cochabamba in August, Santa Cruz in September, and the 500th patient in November: a seven-year-old girl who regains the use of her hand after tendon reconstruction surgery.
2016
A prize, and the first mobile clinic
Medfund wins first place in the "Do Good Challenge" run by the University of Maryland and Morgan Stanley. In August the first mobile clinic sets off for Teoponte, La Paz.
2017
1,500 patients, 10,000 supporters, and Brazil
The 1,500th patient in January, a 26-year-old woman whose burn treatment and childcare during her hospital stay are covered. 10,000 Facebook supporters in September. In November Medfund goes international, expanding to Minas Gerais, Brazil, and in December celebrates its third year.
2019
Apolo
On 4 August a team travelling to give free care in four communities near Apolo dies in a road accident on the way. Medfund carries on the programs they started.
2020
COVID: we kept going
When most organisations stopped, Medfund did not. Through the pandemic the team kept delivering food, water, medicine and treatment to people who had nowhere else to turn. The same year the work pivoted to donating directly: less crowdfunding one bill at a time, more medicine, supplies and care handed over in person.
2020 to 2025
The road years
Dozens of mobile clinics. Hundreds of villages. Thousands of patients seen. The mobile clinic became the heart of the work, taking doctors, dentists and volunteers to communities a day or more from the nearest hospital.
2026
The busiest year on the road yet
Eight communities in a single year, more than any year we have on record: free clinics in Montero and Buena Vista, Holy Week clinics in Santiago de Machaca, a Día del Niño clinic in Alpacoma, and an Amazon mission down the Mamoré river to 27 de Mayo, Los Puentes, El Masí and Camiaco.

Meet the team.

The people who find the patients, sit with them, and pay the bills. All of them live in Bolivia.

Volunteers in medfund shirts
The team setting off

Joey (Andrew) Kittelson

Director

Co-Founder

A journalist by profession, Joey grew up in Bolivia as a missionary kid and has been around humanitarian and mission work his whole life. Off duty he climbs mountains and plays music.

Dr. Marcia Borda

Regional Director

La Paz, Bolivia

An anaesthesiologist, born and raised in La Paz, with deep experience in oncologic anaesthesia for children. Marcia works at the Children's Hospital in La Paz and has done extensive humanitarian and disaster-relief work across Bolivia and South America.

Esther Campos

Director of Logistics

Born and raised in La Paz, Esther studied social communications and loves working with children. She spent ten years as a pharmacist in remote clinics in rural Bolivia, which is exactly the experience a mobile clinic runs on.

In memory

On 4 August 2019, a Medfund team set off to bring free medical care to the communities of Siphia, Azariamas, Curiza and Piedra Blanca, near Apolo. They never arrived. We remember them, and every hero we have lost, by continuing the work they were on their way to do.

Frank Oblitas TorrezRegional Director
Nadya Arias
Aracely Ballivian Moreno
Lizza Vasquez Bozo
Alejandra Yoshimin Ayllon
Sharon Nadir Guitierrez
Fanny Ingala
Marcela Figueroa Rodrigues
Cindy Gabriela Justiniano
Alain Quispe Calle
Erika Larrea Montaño

Frank Oblitas Torrez

Born in Tipuani, Bolivia, raised in Caranavi, and moved to La Paz to be an Automotive Engineer. Frank dedicated his life to working with Medfund. He believed he had the most beautiful job in the world, and his time was cut short in an accident. The Medfund team hopes to honour his legacy by continuing the programs he started and serving others the way he did.

The wall of heroes.

Medfund runs on volunteers. These are the key volunteers who have carried the work over the years, in clinics, in hospitals and on the road.

Alejandro Ayra
Mariela Chavez
Evaliz Suárez
Fabián Conde
Felipe Cabezas
Fabricio Orellana
Gabriel Conde
Rolando Henríquez
Mae Oblitas
Sara Gutiérrez
Noemí Salas
Sara Blanco

And more than a hundred others who have carried boxes, cleaned instruments, sat with patients or given a Saturday to a single event. Every one of them counts.

Add your name to this wall →