“Sometimes my daughter asks me what’s wrong with her arm and I feel so upset. I don’t know what to say,” says the mother of Hnin, a five-year-old girl from Burma suffering from a contracture of her arm. Normally elastic, the muscles in Hnin’s index finger, wrist and elbow have become tight and rigid—making it impossible for Hnin to bend her arm properly. It is difficult for her to perform everyday activities like getting dressed or playing with friends.
Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), explains: The contractures are an unexpected side effect of a previous operation Hnin underwent when she was just a few months old, in which doctors made “an incision from underneath her armpit to the tip of her index finger” to reduce intense swelling of Hnin’s arm.
As an active child who wants to attend school, “Hnin follows the other children to school and stands outside looking in. Sometimes my daughter’s friends ask her what happened to her arm, and they play doctors, pretending to cut the contraction,” shares BBP.
Hnin’s mother and father work as agricultural day laborers, farming corn and beans. They were forced to work full-time to cover the expenses associated with Hnin’s previous surgery, so Hnin lives with her grandmother. “However, their work is irregular and the family earns enough to cover daily expenses, but they don’t have savings or money to pay for Hnin’s healthcare,” adds BBP. After borrowing money for Hnin’s previous surgery at 20% interest, “the interest quickly accumulated and the couple had trouble paying it off.”
With the support of Hnin’s make-believe doctor pals, Watsi donors, and physicians at BBP’s Mae Tao Clinic in Thailand, Hnin’s treatment and recovery can be made possible. $1,500 in Watsi funding, along with $1,585 in subsidies from BBP, will cover a contracture release surgery for Hnin, in which doctors will make incisions in her arm to remove the abnormal tissue.
BBP predicts, “Following treatment it is hoped that Hnin will have full use of her arm and will then be able to attend school in Burma with her friends.” Her mother is looking forward to moving back to Burma to live with her daughter as soon as possible.
Let’s help this adorable five-year-old regain use of her arm so she can live a normal childhood!