“Pan Thu first began showing cardiac disease symptoms when she was 3-years-old,” report our partners at Burma Border Projects. “Her mother noticed that Pan Thu became sweaty and experienced heart palpitations when she was playing. She is unable to pick up heavy objects and suffers from chest and joint pain.” Pan Thu is a gifted 15-year-old student who lives with her grandfather in Burma. Her parents divorced when she was young, and her grandfather takes care of Pan Thu while her mother travels for her work as a nurse. Her mother earns enough to pay for food and school expenses, but cannot afford surgery for Pan Thu’s heart condition. In spite of this, Pan Thu remains positive and dedicated to her studies. Doctors diagnosed Pan Thu with cardiac atrial septal defect, which means she has a hole in the wall between the upper chambers. Blood that doesn’t have enough oxygen can flow to her organs and tissues, which in turn don’t get the nutrients they need to function properly. For $1,500 we can fund complex cardiac surgery to repair the hole in Pan Thu’s heart. The Burma Border Projects team predicts that treatment will improve Pan Thu’s energy levels and that she will no longer experience heart palpitations and struggle to breathe. Pan Thu can then focus on her studies and pursue her dream of attending university to study foreign languages and eventually accomplish her dream of serving as a diplomat!