Meet Thidar, a 23-year-old woman from Burma. Thidar has worked as a housemaid in Chiang Mai and Bangkok. Thidar now lives with her parents and younger brother.
When Thidar was two years old, she was diagnosed with a cardiac condition that could not be treated at her young age. When she was 13 years old, Thidar left home to become a housemaid for four years.
Thidar is fatigued and often dizzy, which makes it difficult for her to work. She is scheduled for heart surgery to repair the condition. The procedure is scheduled for July 24 and will cost $1,500. Thidar hopes to return to work with renewed health following the surgery.
“My condition has caused a lot of distress. My parents have had to borrow large sums of money in order to cover the costs of my condition. I want to get better for them, and I want a healthy life, and I want to walk like a strong woman,” says Thidar.