Yan Soe is a bright five-year-old boy from Burma who loves going to school. Yan Soe has a hereditary blood disorder in which the body makes an abnormal form of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. His condition requires him to have regular blood transfusions. In the past, his family has had to solicit and pay blood donors, or ask local monks for help. They recently moved to help get Yan Soe better treatment, but are no longer able to afford the regular transfusions. Even though he is very tired and has no energy, Yan Soe still insists on going to school.
A $1,100 splenectomy surgery will eliminate the need for blood transfusions and will help return Yan Soe to a healthy, active life.
Yan Soe’s mother says that she is so grateful for the support of donors who will help her son get treatment. She fears that her son’s condition is hereditary, as her younger brother died of similar symptoms when he was eight years old. She does not want to lose Yan Soe as well.