Burma Children Medical Fund

Thailand

Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital

Patients at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital

Linn is a 50-year-old woman from Burma. She is divorced and lives with her mother and son in Karen State - a conflict area near the border of Burma and Thailand. She works as a shop vendor, selling steamed sticky rice with chicken and pork, and her mother is retired. Her 12-year-old son is in the fifth grade in Burma. Linn also cultivates vegetables in her garden and usually cooks meals using them. Linn enjoys watching movies in her free time, but she has not been able to do so for a while now. One year ago, Linn began to experience blurred and double vision. Currently, Linn cannot read, see, or walk well and requires a caregiver to assist her with daily activities. These symptoms have made it increasingly difficult for her to see clearly. Linn was diagnosed with retinal detachment, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the supportive tissue in the eye, resulting in vision loss. If left untreated, she could lose vision completely. Linn is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach her retina. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), requests $1,500 to cover her procedure and care costs. After her surgery, Linn's vision will hopefully be restored, and she will resume her daily activities comfortably. Linn expressed, "I am very pleased to receive help and I am relieved that I can also stay at BCMF's patients' house in Chiang Mai. I wish for the success of my eye surgery. After recovery, I hope to restart my previous business again."

$932raised
$568to go

Nay is a 31-year-old man from Burma. He lives with his mother, two sisters, two brothers-in-law, two nephews, and two nieces in a village in Karen State along the Burma border. Nay works in Thailand as a day laborer, spending one week working in Mae Sot and then returning for two days to his village. Nay’s mother is retired and one of his sisters is a homemaker, taking care of her children. The other sister and two brothers-in-law are day laborers on a farm in Karen State. They also grow vegetables for family consumption. His nephews and one niece go to school. Their monthly income is enough for basic needs and they make an effort to pay for basic health care. In his free time, Nay enjoys helping in his community and fixing electronic items. In July 2023, Nay began to experience blurred vision in his right eye. He has intermittent pain and discharge. These symptoms have made it increasingly difficult for him to see clearly. Nay feels uncomfortable seeing only with his left eye and feels sad and depressed about his condition. Nay was diagnosed with retinal detachment, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the supportive tissue in the eye, resulting in vision loss. If left untreated, he could lose vision entirely in the right eye. Nay is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach his retina on January 18th. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of this procedure and care. After the surgery, Nay's vision will hopefully be restored, and he will resume his daily activities comfortably. Nay said “I was stuck and hopeless while the doctor was telling me that I would need a surgery. I don’t even know how to explain about my health problem to my family. I worry they will feel so sad and worry about me. I am unhappy and feel tired emotionally. After learning that I have donors who will help me paying for my treatment in Chiang Mai, I feel like my hope has returned and I'm wishing my vision would repair and I'll be able to continue my career in the future."

$920raised
$580to go

Aung is a nine months old baby boy from Burma. He lives with his parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle, and two elder sisters. His father works as a day laborer, while his mother takes care of the household. They also run a small farm where they grow rice for both their family to eat and to earn an income. However, their monthly earning is insufficient to cover their basic living costs and Aung's medical expenses. As a result, they are indebted. Aung was born at home with the assistance of a midwife. Neither the midwife nor the mother noticed any abnormalities at that time. However, the day after his birth, Aung's grandmother observed swelling in his left foot and genitals, as well as a mass on his right flank. Last May, Aung and his mother sought treatment at the public hospital in Yangon, where he was admitted. There, he underwent tests, including hormone evaluations, along with multiple X-rays of his chest, abdomen, pelvis, and both legs. The doctor informed his mother that a rare congenital condition was suspected, and that amputation might be necessary if there were any changes in his leg color or when he reached six months of age to prevent complications. Oral medications and bi-weekly follow-up appointments were provided. Over time, Aung's leg and scrotum swelling worsened. However, due to ongoing conflict near their village and financial constraints, Aung's parents were unable to attend further follow-up appointments. Doctors now want Aung to undergo an MRI, an imaging procedure that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of bodily organs. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $968 to cover the cost of Aung's MRI and care, scheduled for January 26th. Aung's mother expressed, "I hope to witness my son's full recovery. His condition brings me immense sorrow, and I do not know why this has happened to him. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to BCMF and the donors for helping my son. Once he receives complete treatment, my wish is for him to excel in his education and achieve success in life."

$496raised
$472to go

Kyaw is a 5-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents, grandmother, and older sister. Kyaw’s father supports the family as a Wi-Fi technician, while his mother and grandmother take care of the household. Recently, Kyaw started nursery school. During his free time, he likes to play football with his friends and ride his bicycle. In June 2023, while playing outside with his friends, Kyaw was accidentally hit by a friend and injured his left eye. Since then, Kyaw began to experience blurring and watering in his left eye, sensitivity to light, accompanied by pain, itching, and redness around the eye. These symptoms have made it increasingly difficult for him to see clearly. Kyaw was diagnosed with retinal detachment, a condition in which the retina pulls away from the supportive tissue in the eye, resulting in vision loss. If left untreated, he could lose his vision completely. Kyaw is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach his retina on March 11th. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. After his surgery, Kyaw's vision will hopefully be restored and he can resume his daily activities comfortably. Kyaw’s mother said, “I am very thankful to BCMF and their donors. It was very difficult to find an organization that would help with the cost of treatment. It is good to know I can depend on others for support like this, without you, it would be very difficult for me to help my son.”

$434raised
$1,066to go