Mu is a 17-year-old boy and refugee living in Thailand. Around mid-August 2021, he woke up one morning with pain in his left knee. At first he thought that the pain wound go away on its own and that it was nothing serious. However, when the pain remained a few days later, he told his sister. She bought him a type of Burmese pain reliever balm to apply on his knee. He applied the balm for a week, but he did not feel any better. When he and his sister noticed that his left knee had become slightly swollen his sister called their father. Mu’s father told them that it could an infection and suggested that they go to a hospital or buy him pain medication to reduce swelling. His sister bought the medication their father suggested at a pharmacy, and Mu took it for a week. However, he did not feel better, and the swelling did not decrease.
Now, Mu’s left knee is painful especially at night and whenever he moves his left leg. He needs to take pain medicine at least twice a day to be able to sleep or make him feel a bit better. The swelling continues to slowly increase every day. Because of the pain, Mu has a poor appetite and has lost weight. Since early November, he has to use crutches to get around and easily tires when he walks even short distances. Mu and his family are worried that he might need to amputate his leg. Apart from this, his sister has had ask for leave from her work to take Mu to the hospital, and his brother who studies outside of the refugee camp has had to temporarily stop his studies while he accompanies him to Chiang Mai.
Doctors want Mu to undergo an MRI, an imaging procedure that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of bodily organs. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan.
Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $814 to cover the cost of Mu’s MRI and care, scheduled for December 1st.
Mu’s sister said, “I feel so sad to see him in pain every day and I don’t know how to help him. When I heard that he will be brought to Chiang Mai and that BCMF has agreed to help with his surgery, I don’t know how to express how extremely happy I felt.”