San is a 55-year-old woman who was born and raised in Thae Phyu village in Yangon Division, Burma. She lives with her husband, son, two daughters, son-in-law, and two-year-old grandson. She and her family are all subsistence farmers on their own land, which has pigs, chickens, and produce. In her free time, San likes to watch TV.
When she was 14 or 15 years old, San first noticed a small growth on her neck—the start of the goiter. It was the size of the tip of her pinky finger. Her parents suggested she go to the clinic to investigate it and get surgery, but because it did not cause her pain or any other problems, she did not do anything about it. Gradually, as she aged, and with each of her four pregnancies, the goiter grew in size. Over the years, many people told her she could get treatment.
In the last year, the goiter has started to make eating and drinking uncomfortable. Fortunately, she visited our medical partner and is scheduled to undergo thyroid surgery on June 18. She needs help funding this $1,500 procedure.
She hopes that the surgery will make her neck better and allow her to continue to do her farm work long into the future.