This smiley man is U Aung. He’s a 62-year-old man who has endured more than his cheery face indicates. He comes from an area of Burma that has experienced heavy fighting during the country’s brutal civil conflict, and has been forced many times by the military to work as a porter, transporting equipment and supplies, along with other men from his village. In order to avoid this position, one must find a replacement and pay up to $800, a luxury that U Aung cannot afford. As a result, many phases of his life have not been his own.
The struggle to take back his life was complicated when, in 2011, U Aung began to feel pain in his lower abdomen. He sought medical care from a local clinic, but they could only give him medication to ease his symptoms, not treat his condition. It wasn’t until 2013 that U Aung was finally diagnosed with benign prostate hypertrophy, or an enlarged prostate.
U Aung has many dreams for his future. He would like to see peace in Burma in his lifetime. He hopes to live long enough to see all his children get married and to one day have grandchildren. U Aung needs a $1,330 surgery to restore his quality of life and make his hopes a reality. Let’s make it happen!