Daw Soe is a 43-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband, younger son, and daughter-in-law in a Burma village. Her husband is employed as a carpenter in a furniture shop, while her elder son works as a cleaner at a hotel in Bangkok. Daw Soe and her daughter-in-law are homemakers. Her younger son is in fourth grade. Their combined income is enough to cover daily expenses and able to pay for basic health care needs. They usually go to the internally displaced people (IDP) camp clinic run by the Karen Department of Health and Welfare close to her village. In her free time, Daw Soe enjoys listening to religious sermons by Buddhist monks.
In April 2024, Daw Soe began to experience troubling symptoms, including difficulty breathing, discomfort in her neck, and difficulty swallowing solid food. She was diagnosed with non-toxic goiter. The thyroid is the gland in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse.
Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is helping Daw Soe receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on January 22nd at Mae Sot General Hospital where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,500, and she and her family need help raising the funds.
Daw Soe shared: “There is a sensation of something in my neck that is causing me much discomfort. I am hoping to get surgery treatment, and I look forward to a quick recovery. I am so thankful for your help. I pray for the donors, BCMF, and the staff to be healthy and wealthy and to continue helping patients like me who cannot afford surgery.”

