Meet Khamt, a 16-year-old boy from Burma. When Khamt entered ninth grade he came down with a fever and fatigue, so his mother took him to the closest private clinic, six hours away.
"At the clinic, they learned that he had a heart problem and needed to go to Rangoon for treatment," says our medical partner Burma Border Projects (BBP). "Since his family lacked the financial resources required to get him treatment, they were not able to pursue further care."
Even though Khamt continues to experience fatigue, labored breathing, and a poor appetite due to his ventricular septal defect, he still attends school. "He strongly desires to complete school and attend a university to become a public worker," BBP explains. "He thoroughly enjoys studying economics and is also intrigued by the idea of medic training."
However, his mother worries that he may not be able to reach these goals with his current condition. "She fears for his prognosis and worries about the possibility of his health declining," BBP says.
For $1,500, we can fund Khamt's heart treatment so he can regain his health. "Khamt says the idea of surgery does not scare him and that he would love to be able to play sports with his classmates and friends," BBP tells us. "He hopes that surgery will allow him to be more active and live life to the fullest."