Daw Saw is a 61-year-old woman who lives with her husband and two daughters in Karen State, Burma. Daw Saw and her husband are unemployed but help with the housework while her two daughters work in a garment factory. She likes listening to the news and monks’ teachings on her phone in her free time.
In the summer of 2019, Daw Saw started experiencing troubling symptoms such as bloating, stomachaches, and back pain. She took herbal medicine whenever she felt uncomfortable, and it helped reduce the pain temporarily. Daw Saw continued purchasing the medicine from the local clinic, but at the beginning of September 2023, she experienced severe back pain that made it very uncomfortable for her to sit. She also noticed blood in her urine. At this point, her daughter advised her to go to Thailand to seek medical treatment.
Daw Saw was diagnosed with kidney stones and was referred to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, for treatment. The doctor inserted a catheter to drain the fluid from her kidney and told her to come back to the hospital every three months to change the catheter. During her appointment on August 9, 2024, the doctor told her that she needed surgery to remove the stone.
On March 3rd, Daw Saw will undergo surgery to remove the kidney stones. She needs help to raise $1,500 to fund this procedure. After a full recovery, Daw Saw should have an improved quality of life.
Daw Saw says, “I tell myself that I have used a lot of my children’s money for the treatment already, and I don’t want to use more, so perhaps I shouldn’t go for any more treatment. I should go back home and wait for my last day. But my daughter encouraged me to get treatment, and when I heard that there was an organization that would provide support, I felt so relieved. Thank you so much to the donors and the organization for supporting me.”

