Day is a four-year-old boy from Karen State, Burma. He lives with his mother, two brothers, and sister. He does not yet attend school, but his sister is in grade one. His older brothers both work as agricultural day laborers and get paid in rice on an annual basis.
When Day was a year old, his mother noticed a small, swollen area on his left buttock. The area was about the size of a quarter, but did not cause Day any pain. Over the next three years, the swollen area, or cyst, grew significantly. The cyst had some redness and was soft.
Day’s mother did not take him to any healthcare facilities for investigation or treatment because the mass was not actively bothering him and they do not have enough money to do so. However, Day’s mother started to worry about Day’s condition as the cyst gradually grew bigger.
In May 2018, someone in Day’s village told his mother about Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), a free clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand. They finally came to MTC and were referred to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH), our medical partner’s care center, for surgery. The doctor at MSH scheduled Day for surgery on May 30.
Now, his family needs help funding this $1,500 cyst removal procedure.
Day’s mother says, “I really want him to have treatment, but we have never had enough money.”
