Dohn is a 21-month-old boy who lives in a village in Karen State, Burma with his family. Dohn’s grandparents work as subsistence farmers, his father works as car mechanic in Thailand, and his mother looks after the children.
Following a persistent fever and vomiting, Dohn was admitted to the hospital last April. A CT scan revealed a fluid-filled mass in his brain and a possible tumor. Upon receiving the news that Dohn would need surgery, Dohn’s father stopped working in order to look after Dohn at the hospital.
The fluid around Dohn’s brain was drained, but, due to an infection, no further procedure was done at that time. Dohn has now been transferred to our medical partner’s care center, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, and is scheduled to receive a ventriculoperitoneal shunt on May 26 in order to drain any built-up fluid. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to help fund Dohn’s surgical care.
With proper treatment, Dohn will be freed of potential cognitive complications and can hope to develop into a strong, healthy young boy.