Zaw is an 11-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents and two younger brothers. Zaw’s mother sells watermelon in their town, while his father works on construction sites and cuts bamboo for neighbors. Zaw himself is a student who just finished the fourth grade. He loves to spend his free time playing football and marbles with friends.
When Zaw was nine, his mother noticed a nasal polyp, or growth, inside both of his nostrils. At night, he began to have difficulty breathing. Zaw’s condition has caused him to stop attending the fifth grade.
Zaw’s family could not afford medication or travel to a clinic. Finally, Zaw visited our medical partner’s care center, Mae Sot General Hospital. There, he will undergo a CT scan on January 11. This scan will help his doctors plan for further treatment.
Zaw’s parents earn an inconsistent income. They need help to fund this $1,500 procedure. His mother hopes her son will recover soon.
“If I am fully recovered, I will go back to school,” Zaw says.