Growing up in Burma, 41-year-old Aung contracted a heart infection when he was eight-years-old, leaving permanent damage to his heart. He proceeded to have a reasonably healthy life, moving to Myawaddy to fulfill his dreams of being a carpenter. Working seven days a week, Aung eventually bought himself some land and built a house. With his income from work, Aung was able to afford his daily life and even save a small amount of money.
However when Aung was 33-years-old, the damage to his heart started causing him significant problems and working every day wasn’t possible. He says he knew something was wrong because he felt exactly as he had as an eight-year-old child with whole body aches, fever, chest pain and shortness of breath. He came to the Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) for help. He was diagnosed with heart failure. Most of Aung’s visits to the MTC were to get his prescription medications to manage his heart condition or to have check-ups with the medical staff.
Aung has had multiple long stay admissions at MTC and a ten day stay in February this year. He says his symptoms are all the same when his heart failure is exacerbated; he gets extreme fatigue that prevents him from walking, a painful headache, a high fever, pain in his chest and very swollen ankles. After multiple investigations in 2014, it was determined that Aung needed a heart valve replacement due to the multiples problems he had with his heart including aortic regurgitation, aortic stenosis and mitral stenosis.
Being too afraid of the operation and the potential complications, Aung has been putting off the operation for two years. His admission into the MTC in February 2016 had all the staff encouraging Aung that it was time he accepted the surgery as it was the only treatment to improve his condition. As he himself agreed that his illness had become so bad that staying awake and breathing were often very difficult, he decided he would undergo the necessary heart valve replacement surgery. The MTC then referred Aung to Burma Border Projects to assist him in his treatment.
For $1,500, Aung will undergo surgery to replace his heart valves.
“I hope that after the surgery I will able to return to work and visit my friends more,” shares Aung.