Tina is a 59-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her family in a village in Myawaddy Township, Karen State. She stopped working five months ago because of her poor health and now, she looks after the household chores and takes care of her grandchildren. Both of her grandchildren go to school while her daughter works as a health worker in their village. Both Tina’s son and her son-in-law work as agricultural day labourers on different farms.
In January 2019, Tina began to experience that her right eye started to hurt. These symptoms have made it increasingly difficult for she to see clearly. Tina 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.
Tina is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach her retina on September 20. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. After his surgery, Tina’s vision will hopefully be restored, and she will resume her daily activities comfortably.
She is not able to sleep well because she worries about her condition. “When I have free time, I weave bags for my grandchildren,” said Tina. “I hope that I will feel better soon so that I can go back to work and pay back my debt.”