“I wish to become an accountant when I grow up so I can help my mother with her business,” shares Phyu Zin, a 13-year-old girl who is quick to smile and laugh. In school, she likes her math courses, and in her free time, she enjoys watching movies and spending time with school friends and her cousin.
Phyu Zin lives with her parents, two older sisters, brother in-law, and niece in Burma. Her father works in the lumber industry, felling trees and sawing them into construction planks. The family’s average income is sufficient for their day-to-day needs, with limited savings and funds for healthcare expenses.
At two months of age, Phyu Zin developed pneumonia with a fever and nasal drainage. Her parents took her to Kawkareik Clinic for medication. Upon examining the girl, the doctor detected a heart condition known as tetralogy of Fallot—a congenital disease comprising four different heart defects that cause oxygen-poor blood to flow from the heart to the rest of the body. Phyu Zin returned to the clinic three times in her first year of life for repeat incidents of fever. On each occasion, she was medicated for her immediate symptoms.
When Phyu Zin was eight years old, her symptoms worsened. She was always tired, and exercise easily fatigued her. She was tired at school and could not walk far or fast. In addition, she experienced several spells of dizziness at school.
Until two months ago, Phyu Zin was a student in the sixth grade. However, her declining health forced her to drop out of school, as she could not keep up with her class work and the large, noisy classes made her uncomfortable. Her current symptoms are difficulty breathing—especially when active—and she is easily fatigued. Her mother places cold compresses on her when her breathing is labored.
The past several years have been very difficult for Phyu Zin’s family, as so much time, energy and resources have been dedicated to Phyu Zin. They have been worried about their ability to secure treatment for her and were glad to learn about Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) from a family member. Phyu Zin’s parents brought her to MTC, and the medics referred her to Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) as a surgical candidate.
For $1500, Phyu Zin will receive a complete diagnostic workup to assess her heart function and undergo corrective surgery to restore normal blood flow within her heart. Funding also covers the costs of 12 pre- and post-operative consultations, transportation to and from the hospital, and three weeks of hospital care during assessment and recovery.