Ngo is a 36-year-old Karen woman from Burma. She has three children, and two of whom are students. While she stays home to take care of house work and her husband works as a day laborer. He earns 180 baht (approx. $6 USD) per day and he usually works for about 20 days per month. The income he can make is not enough to cover their family’s basic expenses. They sometimes have to borrow money from Ngo’s sister, especially when Ngo needs to go to a clinic.
In October 2019, Ngo experienced a severe pain in her right side. She went to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) and was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. She was on medication which made her feel better. On her follow-up appointment, the medic performed ultrasound imaging test to see if her kidney looks fine. The medic then found a stone in her right kidney and she was referred to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) to meet with a urologist. The doctor at MSH at first tried to treat Ngo with medication but when that did not work, the doctor explained that Ngo needs more investigative tests to help her.
Doctors want Ngo to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan.
Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Ngo’s CT scan and care, scheduled for February 21st.
Ngo said, “I want to look after my sons without needing to worry. I want all my sons to be well-educated persons.”