Tha is an 18-year-old living in Burma with her family. Before becoming ill, Tha lived in Bangkok, where she worked as a domestic helper. Tha has a congenital heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This rare heart condition is caused by a combination of four heart defects that occur at birth, resulting in oxygen-poor blood being circulated around the body.
Tha began experiencing symptoms of her condition at the age of 10. Doctors originally thought she had asthma so her true condition remained undetected. While working in Bangkok, Tha developed severe fatigue, heart palpitations, blue-tinged skin, and clubbed fingers. She would have trouble standing throughout the day because she was so exhausted.
She was forced to return to Burma when she became too weak to work. Once home with her family, she sought medical treatment and her condition was properly diagnosed. Doctors have recommended that Tha have surgery to repair her heart so that it can function normally.
Our medical partner, Burma Children’s Medical Fund, is request $1,500 for Tha’s surgery, which will be performed on September 16. Tha hopes that after the surgery she will regain her energy and be able to live on her own again. She says, “After getting treatment I will work again and probably go back to Bangkok.”