Myint is a 34-year-old woman who lives with her husband, son, and daughter in a village in Burma. Her son is in seventh grade, and her daughter is in third grade.
Myint and her husband work as day laborers on a chili farm. Currently, however, Myint’s health is preventing her from working.
Myint first noticed symptoms when she was 16. She felt very tired and often had difficulty breathing. Myint could not afford to visit a clinic, so she relied on traditional medicines.
By the time she was 20, Myint’s health condition had grown much worse. She visited a clinic, where a doctor examined her. She learned that she had a heart condition but did not receive any treatment.
In October of 2017, Myint’s abdomen swelled, and she felt very tired and had difficulty breathing. She traveled to Mandalay, where she underwent a blood test and an echocardiogram and was diagnosed with atrial septal defect. She learned she would need surgery, which was prohibitively expensive.
Fortunately, Myint was referred to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo a corrective heart surgery on January 22. She needs help raising $1,500 to pay for surgery. After treatment, Myint hopes to return to work to support her children.