Watsi

Success! Da from Thailand raised $1,500 to fund eye surgery.

100%

$1,500 raised, $0 to go

$1,500

raised

to go

Fully funded

Da's treatment was fully funded on March 23, 2022.

Da's story
Da's update

Photo of Da post-operation

April 8, 2022

Da underwent life-changing eye surgery.

Da’s lens replacement surgery was a success! Before the surgery, Da’s vision was blurry. He was unable to live independently and always needed others’ help to guide him. As a result, he felt worried and depressed, losing his appetite and the ability to sleep at night. After surgery, his vision has returned. Da shared that he is overjoyed and able to see clearly and move around independently again.

Da said, “I feel like I have returned to the world. Since I could not see well, I would have to recognize people from their voices. I missed my family and I wanted to see their faces. Now I have received this opportunity so that I can see my family’s faces. Thank you so much BCMF for giving me this opportunity.”

Da's lens replacement surgery was a success! Before the surgery, Da's vision was blurry. He was unable to live independently and always need...

December 27, 2021

Da is a 67-year-old man who lives with his wife and son in a village on the border area of Thailand. Da cannot work since his vision deteriorated three years ago and his wife is a homemaker. His son works as a day labourer getting work when he can. In his free time, Da shared that he likes to listen to gospel songs.

Starting three years ago, Da’s right pupil gradually turned white. The vision in his eye also blurred over time. When he went to Mae Sot Hospital, the doctor diagnosed him with cataracts in both his eyes and told him he would need surgery to be able to see clearly again. The doctor scheduled him to receive surgery for his right eye first on December 28th. Currently, Da cannot see anything and can only perceive light. He needs someone to guide him to the bathroom and help him take a shower because he cannot see.

Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Da. Doctors can perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Da’s natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure.

Da said, “I feel like I am in the darkness as I cannot see now. I hope that I will be able to see after surgery.”

Da is a 67-year-old man who lives with his wife and son in a village on the border area of Thailand. Da cannot work since his vision deterio...

Submitted by

Learn more

Da's case was submitted by Bue Wah Say at Burma Children Medical Fund.

Da's Timeline

December 27, 2021
PROFILE SUBMITTED
Da was submitted by Bue Wah Say, Project Officer at Burma Children Medical Fund.
December 28, 2021
TREATMENT OCCURRED
Da received treatment at Mae Sot General Hospital in Thailand. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.
December 29, 2021
PROFILE PUBLISHED
Da's profile was published to start raising funds.
March 23, 2022
FULLY FUNDED
Da's treatment was fully funded.
April 8, 2022
TREATMENT UPDATE
Da's treatment was successful. Read the update.

Share Da's story

Funded by 33 donors

Funded by 33 donors

Treatment

Lens Replacement

Cost Breakdown
Diagnosis
Procedure

On average, it costs $3,505 for Da's treatment

Subsidies fund $2,005 and Watsi raises the remaining $1,500

Hospital Fees

$1,597

Medical Staff

$501

Medication

$186

Supplies

$1,020

Labs

$30

Other

$171

Symptoms
Impact on patient's life
Cultural or regional significance

What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

Patients may experience blurred or dim vision, shadows or blind spots in the field of vision, sensitivity to light and glare, and double vision.

What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

Reduced vision can result in social isolation, depression, increased risk of falling and accidents, and ultimately a greater tendency to be disabled. Without surgery, the patient will have no choice but to live with end-stage ocular disease, often resulting in blindness or pain.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

The healthcare system in Burma does not permit the average citizen to receive proper eye examinations. This lack of attention to ocular health is due to a variety of reasons. However, a low optometrist-to-population ratio and insufficient funds are the leading causes.

Process
Impact on patient's life
Risks and side-effects
Accessibility
Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

Surgery will only be performed if the pressure in the eye is stable. The time it takes to stabilize the pressure in the eye depends on the severity of damage to the eye.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

The patient will regain his or her vision, though it may not be perfectly clear. Fortunately, the surgery prevents a complete loss of vision.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Potential side effects include bleeding, infection, scarring, persistent swelling, wound separation, and the need to undergo additional surgery.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

Burma has 309 ophthalmologists and 150 eye nurses. Fewer than half of the ophthalmologists perform surgery, and almost two-thirds confine their practice to the cities of Yangon (with a population of about six million) and Mandalay (about three million), where many people have the financial capacity to meet high out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. Aside from these main facilities, there is roughly one ophthalmologist for every 500,000 people, and eye health screening and treatment for children and adults is neither comprehensive nor consistent.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

There are no alternatives. If left untreated, the patient will eventually lose his or her vision completely.

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