Thi is a 47-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her family in Myawaddy Township of Karen State in Burma. Only two of her children go to school. Her youngest boy is in third grade and her daughter is in fifth grade. Her oldest son works at her cousin’s vegetable shop in Bago. Thi has been unemployed for approximately five months due to her condition. Before her illness, she was a day laborer on a farm and her husband is a day laborer in construction.
Around five months ago, Thi started feeling sick. She experienced weakness, trouble sleeping, heart palpitations (irregular heartbeat), and sweats. At first, she ignored these symptoms, hoping they would resolve themselves. However, the symptoms did not improve. About two months later, she went to a local doctor who gave her oral medication to use for a week, but she did not get better. She started feeling pain in her left abdomen, difficulty breathing, and trouble eating and sleeping.
Doctors want Thi 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 Thi’s CT scan and care, scheduled for February 17th.
“Now, I feel too weak to do manual labor. I was working on a farm before, but I don’t think I’ll be able to do it any longer. In the future, I think I will try to start a small business in my village. I think I can sell vegetables and clothes. If I can do this, life will be easier for me,” she said. In her free time, Thi likes to use a meditation necklace to focus her mind away from her pain. “When I move the beads through my fingers, it helps reduce my pain.”