“Pala dreams of remaining a monk for the rest of his life and hopes that with experience and lots of hard work, he can eventually become a teacher one day,” says our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP).
Meet Pala, a 23-year-old man from Burma who has Rheumatic heart disease. “Pala experiences joint pain, swelling and fatigue. He also suffers from bouts of fever and cannot walk long distances. His health problems forced him to drop out of school at the age of 15,” reports BBP. Pala’s love of learning, though, led him to continue his education at a monastery.
Pala’s uncle, a construction worker, financially supports him and his mother. “Pala’s mother is unable to work due to suffering a stroke several years back. His uncle doesn’t earn much money, about $3 a day, so the family is not able to pay for Pala’s heart surgery on his uncle’s income,” continues BBP.
For $1500, we can provide cardiac surgery to Pala. BBP concludes, “Treatment will allow Pala to live a more fulfilled life without pain. He can expect to have more energy, allowing him to focus on his religious duties. Pala will not have to visit the doctor so frequently so the family can save money for the future.” Let’s help Pala follow his dream of becoming a teacher!