“Aye stopped attending monastery school in January 2016 because she felt so unwell,” reports our medical partner Burma Border Projects (BBP). Aye is a 15-year-old girl from Burma and towards the end of last year, “She started to feel pain in her abdomen and she felt tightness in her lower abdomen and pelvis and in her upper thighs. She was in a lot of pain and her lower back ached and felt like it was burning,” continues BBP.
“She had an ultrasound test at Mae Tao Clinic, which found the mass and she was diagnosed with vaginal agenesis,” continues BBP. This translates to a congenital disorder of the reproductive system, which causes pain and discomfort.
BBP continues to explain, “Aye’s mother took her to see a traditional healer,” who used a tamarind stick to try and correct the reproductive disorder and massage techniques to ease her pain. Unfortunately, these traditional treatments were not successful for Aye.
When Aye was finally able to visit a BBP clinic, doctors discovered fibroid masses in her uterus and cervix, as well as the defective development of her reproductive organs. $1500 will pay for the surgery, as well as associated costs with transportation and her post-operational care, that Aye needs.
BBP says, “Following surgery, Aye may be able to go back to her school in the monastery. She should be able to help her mother with household chores.”