Zar Win is a resourceful 27-year-old woman who lives in a small village in Burma. She attended school until fourth grade but had to drop out to help support her family. Her parents work as subsistence farmers and grow enough rice to eat.
When Thu Zar was 10-years-old she developed encephalocele, a sac of neural tissue that pushes outside of her skull. This condition causes her face to swell, her vision to blur, and causes her severe pain when she looks down for more than 10-15 minutes.
Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects, tells us, "Currently, she cannot cook or do any household chores because she cannot look down for long periods of time as the pressure is too painful. She can only feed the animals on their farm or prepare food for the family."
Zar Win says, “I want to be a normal girl and, when I become healthy, I would like to start sewing again. I haven’t been able to look down at the sewing machine for a long time. I want to work hard, save money, and help my parents.”
With $1,500, we can make this dream a reality by funding surgery to remove the mass from Zar Win's face.