Aung from Thailand raised $1,500 to fund surgery to restore his vision.

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$1,500 raised, $0 to go

$1,500

raised

to go

Aung's story
Aung's update

November 15, 2022

Aung is a six-year-old student from Thailand. He lives with his parents and brother. His mother works at a factory, his father is a homemaker, and his brother goes to school. In his free time, Aung likes to play with his toys and watch cartoon movies on the television.

Aung has cataract in his right eye. As a result, he can only see light with that eye, and his eye is very sensitive and irritated. Fortunately, on November 15th, Aung will undergo lens replacement surgery, during which surgeons will remove Aung’s natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is requesting $1,500 to this surgery for Aung.

Aung’s mother shared: “We do not have money to treat him ourselves. My son is so lucky to be treated through the help of donors.”

Aung is a six-year-old student from Thailand. He lives with his parents and brother. His mother works at a factory, his father is a homemake...

Photo of Aung post-operation

May 31, 2023

Aung underwent surgery to restore his vision.

Before the operation, Aung’s right eye was sensitive to light, so he had to wear sunglasses and an eye pad on his right eye whenever he went outside. He could only see white light with that eye. His eye was also red. After the surgery, his eye is not red anymore. He starts to see through his right eye but not yet clearly until he heals more. He still needs to wear sunglasses when he goes outside, but is so happy that this will get better with time.

Aung’s mother said, “I am so happy to see my son getting better. The doctor explained me that Aung needs retina transplant in order to see completely again. But I am happy with what we have. We will wait the donors for the transplant. I have planned to send him school again when he is healthy. He is a clever boy. He is continuously asking me to allow him watch cartoons. I told him to wait till we see the doctor again. And again, thanks for helping us a lot.”

Before the operation, Aung’s right eye was sensitive to light, so he had to wear sunglasses and an eye pad on his right eye whenever he went...

November 15, 2022
PROFILE SUBMITTED
Aung was submitted by Bridgitte Agocs at Burma Children Medical Fund.
November 15, 2022
TREATMENT OCCURRED
Aung received treatment at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital in Thailand. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.
November 17, 2022
PROFILE PUBLISHED
Aung's profile was published to start raising funds.
March 7, 2023
FULLY FUNDED
Aung's treatment was fully funded.
May 31, 2023
TREATMENT UPDATE
We received an update on Aung. Read the update.

Funded by 40 donors

Treatment

Lens Replacement

Cost Breakdown
Diagnosis
Procedure

On average, it costs $4,154 for Aung's treatment

Subsidies fund $2,654 and Watsi raises the remaining $1,500

Hospital Fees

$1,597

Medical Staff

$501

Medication

$186

Supplies

$1,020

Travel

$478

Labs

$30

Other

$342

Symptoms
Impact on patient's life
Cultural or regional significance

What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

Patients may experience blurred or dim vision, shadows or blind spots in the field of vision, sensitivity to light and glare, and double vision.

What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

Reduced vision can result in social isolation, depression, increased risk of falling and accidents, and ultimately a greater tendency to be disabled. Without surgery, the patient will have no choice but to live with end-stage ocular disease, often resulting in blindness or pain.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

The healthcare system in Burma does not permit the average citizen to receive proper eye examinations. This lack of attention to ocular health is due to a variety of reasons. However, a low optometrist-to-population ratio and insufficient funds are the leading causes.

Process
Impact on patient's life
Risks and side-effects
Accessibility
Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

Surgery will only be performed if the pressure in the eye is stable. The time it takes to stabilize the pressure in the eye depends on the severity of damage to the eye.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

The patient will regain his or her vision, though it may not be perfectly clear. Fortunately, the surgery prevents a complete loss of vision.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Potential side effects include bleeding, infection, scarring, persistent swelling, wound separation, and the need to undergo additional surgery.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

Burma has 309 ophthalmologists and 150 eye nurses. Fewer than half of the ophthalmologists perform surgery, and almost two-thirds confine their practice to the cities of Yangon (with a population of about six million) and Mandalay (about three million), where many people have the financial capacity to meet high out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. Aside from these main facilities, there is roughly one ophthalmologist for every 500,000 people, and eye health screening and treatment for children and adults is neither comprehensive nor consistent.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

There are no alternatives. If left untreated, the patient will eventually lose his or her vision completely.

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Daniel is a 10-year-old student from Ethiopia. He is in second grade and loves school. His favorite subject is English. He also loves playing football and games with friends, eating fruits and eggs with injera. He is the fifth child in the family with four older brothers. Both parents are daily laborers on a farm and get income by sharing the profit during harvest with the landowner. They use the income to feed the family and also sell some of the produce to buy other goods for the house. During the rainy season, they engage in other labor work such as chopping wood, gardening and delivery of different goods. Even though their family income is sufficient to support the basic needs of their family, it is a challenge to afford Daniel's surgery. Daniel was born with hypospadias, a congenital disease that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms. Earlier he had two surgeries with Bethany Kids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre (BKMCM). For the third surgery, he had to wait for four years. The wait made him drop out of school and has affected his mental wellbeing. Fortunately, Daniel is now scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on February 28th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Daniel's dad said “I will be happy if my son completely heals and becomes free from shame. I am eager to send him back to school.”

Aung's Timeline

Funded by 40 donors

Treatment

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.