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Success! Daw Tin from Burma raised $851 to fund reparative foot surgery to heal an injury she sustained while working.

Daw Tin
100%
  • $851 raised, $0 to go
$851
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Daw Tin's treatment was fully funded on December 29, 2022.

Photo of Daw Tin post-operation

March 21, 2023

Daw Tin underwent reparative foot surgery to heal an injury she sustained while working.

After her surgery, Daw Tin’s foot is still bandaged, but she expected to make a full recovery and walk again. Daw Tin plans to run a betel nut shop after she is fully recovers.

“I went home with the help of the village youths because my foot was bandaged, and they carried me to get to my home. If your team at BCMF and donors wouldn’t have supported the cost of my surgery, my foot would have been amputated. Although I have to repay my relatives for the money I borrowed to pay for my first surgery, I do not feel stressed because now, I will be able to walk. May all the donors live prosperous lives.”

After her surgery, Daw Tin’s foot is still bandaged, but she expected to make a full recovery and walk again. Daw Tin plans to run a betel n...

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July 28, 2022

Daw Tin is a strong, hardworking 60-year-old woman from Burma who enjoys cleaning her home, visiting her local Buddhist temple, meditating, and praying. She lives on her own and supports herself by working as a day laborer, herding goats and collecting firewood to sell. However, her siblings have been supporting her since her recent injury because she is unable to work.

This past May, Daw Tin stepped on a nail protruding from a wooden board while herding her neighbor’s goats. Over time, the wound on her right heel turned into a painful ulcer, and she could no longer work or walk. She was able to undergo wound debridement surgery in July thanks to donations collected from her community. However, her doctor told her that she would need to have a second surgery in order to fully heal her condition. Without treatment, Daw Tin is at risk of developing severe damage to underlying bone and tissue.

Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $851 to cover the cost of a local rotation flap procedure for Daw Tin, which is scheduled to take place on July 28th at BCMF’s care center. During this procedure, surgeons will rotate a partially attached piece of skin onto the wound. This will allow for optimal vascularization, or the ability to grow blood vessels to improve oxygen and nutrient supply, as well as optimal tissue reconstruction.

Daw Tin says, “I was so happy to hear that I would receive surgery with the help of donors and the organization. Without your help, I could never receive surgery.”

Daw Tin is a strong, hardworking 60-year-old woman from Burma who enjoys cleaning her home, visiting her local Buddhist temple, meditating, ...

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Daw Tin's Timeline

  • July 28, 2022
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    Daw Tin was submitted by Bue Wah Say, Project Officer at Burma Children Medical Fund.

  • July 28, 2022
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    Daw Tin received treatment at Mawlamyine Christian Leprosy Hospital in Burma. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.

  • July 29, 2022
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Daw Tin's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • December 29, 2022
    FULLY FUNDED

    Daw Tin's treatment was fully funded.

  • March 21, 2023
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    Daw Tin's treatment was successful. Read the update.

Funded by 12 donors

Funded by 12 donors

Treatment
Local Rotation Flap
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $851 for Daw Tin's treatment
Hospital Fees
$265
Medical Staff
$112
Medication
$174
Supplies
$253
Travel
$6
Labs
$5
Radiology
$0
Other
$36
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

​What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

Patients have bedsores or pressure sores. They may experience unusual changes in skin color or texture, swelling, and pus-like draining.

​What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

People with pressure sores might experience discomfort, pain, social isolation, or depression. Failure to treat bedsores at an early stage may cause complications and result in some life-threatening conditions, including cellulitis, bone and joint infections, cancer, and, very rarely, sepsis.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

People who lack mobility must re-position themselves regularly to avoid stress on the skin, but patients are rarely instructed on the need and the methods of re-positioning. They also cannot afford to hire a professional caregiver to assist with the re-positioning.

  • Process
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Risks and side-effects
  • Accessibility
  • Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

Rotation flaps are bow-shaped repairs that redistribute tension vectors and recruit adjacent and/or distant tissue laxity. Rotation flaps provide the ability to mobilize large areas of tissue with a wide vascular base for reconstruction.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

Rotation allows for the closure of wounds that cannot be repaired along a single tension vector. The flap must be adequately large, and a large base is necessary if a back-cut will be needed to lengthen the flap. If the flap is too small, the residual defect can be covered by mobilizing the surrounding tissue.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

A drawback of rotation flaps is the extended cutting and undermining needed to create the flap, thus increasing the risk of hemorrhage and nerve damage.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

Since most of our medical partner's patients come from remote areas of Burma, the treatment is not easily accessible. It is only available in cities, and most patients cannot afford the high cost of surgery.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

None. Surgical debridement of the necrotic areas of the wound is required, but the closing of the pressure sore can only be done through local rotation flaps.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.