Moe lives with his two uncles, one aunt, two nephews and a niece in a village in Mont State in Burma. Moe’s two uncles are retired, his niece looks after his youngest nephew who is a baby, and he had to stop working two years ago after he had a stroke. His aunt and his older nephew are shop vendors, earning 150,000 kyat (approx. 150 USD) together in a month. In his free time, Moe likes to read magazines.
Two months ago, Moe noticed that he had a blister on his right big toe. Three days after he first noticed the blister, it ruptured. Over time, the area around the blister turned red and swollen, before developing pus and becoming itchy. He went to Mawlamyine Christian Leprosy Hospital (MCLH) after a nurse at the village clinic advised him to go there to get help. At MCLH, the doctor examined his toe and performed surgery to clean and remove necrotic tissue. Moe returned to that hospital several times, however, his toe never healed. He has diabetes and it is especially difficult for his body to heal from an injury like this. His doctor at MCLH has now determined that he needs to have his toe amputated. By this point, Moe has run out of money and can no longer pay for his treatment.
Moe cannot walk long distances and he cannot sleep well due to pain that worsens at night. He hopes that with this treatment, he can finally feel well again.
“I don’t have any money to pay for my surgery and I feel sad about this. I worry about my toe getting worse and I feel sorry that my aunt [and nephew] have to work hard to support our family. But I feel so happy to receive support from you,” said Moe.
