“I want to be healthy and free from worry,” shares 34-year-old Mar, a mother and market vendor from Thailand.
Mar has an ovarian cyst, a fluid-filled sac that has formed on one of her ovaries. “She is in pain when she sits and sometimes even loses sleep,” our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us. “Her legs and arms ache as well, and she is no longer able to work as much as before.”
Because Mar is unable to work regularly, her 14-year-old son has stopped going to school to help earn money to support the family.
The recommended treatment for Mar is surgical removal of her uterus and ovaries—procedures known as a total hysterectomy and oophorectomy, respectively. Mar’s stage three uterus prolapse, in which her pelvic muscles and the ligaments that support the uterus are weakened, also calls for specific treatment.
$1500 in funding will cover the cost of the surgeries as well as a seven-day hospital stay and one outpatient appointment post-surgery.
BBP explains, “After treatment, Mar will be able to return to work. She will no longer suffer from pain and will be able to earn an income again without worrying about further medical complications.”
“I want to be able to work regularly and earn enough money to spoil my children,” says Mar. “I want my son to return to school to continue with his education. I wish that my children will have better education that I was able to.”