September 14, 2016
May Oo is a 24-year-old woman who was born and raised in Burma. May Oo attended school to grade eight, when she left due to a foot condition.
When she was four years old, May Oo’s foot started to curve and it became hard for her to walk. Her mother took her to a hospital, where the doctor performed an x-ray and inserted a rod into her foot. After six months, she complained about the pain and her mother returned her to the hospital, where the doctor told her mother that the rod was not working. The rod was then removed, and May Oo continued to experience pain and a worsening of her condition.
As May Oo has grown, her foot has become increasingly deformed. She cannot walk long distances and if she does, she experiences hip pain and discomfort. She has been diagnosed with a congenital foot deformity, and recommended an below-the-knee amputation.
Watsi’s partner hospital, Mawlamyine Christian Leprosy Hospital, will perform the surgery for May Oo. The family is happy to be able to access treatment in their own country, though May Oo’s mother is worried for her daughter and nervous about the surgery.
“When I have the amputation and have a prosthetic leg, I can work outside of the home and can generate income for my family,” May Oo shared.
May Oo is a 24-year-old woman who was born and raised in Burma. May Oo attended school to grade eight, when she left due to a foot condition...
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November 3, 2016
May Oo received a successful amputation.
A month after the surgery, May Oo still experiences some numbness and minimal pain, for which she has medication. She looks forward to the three-month time when she will be ready to be fitted with a prosthetic lower leg. May Oo can now plan her future. She wants to sew clothes, and her neighbor is teaching her how to make skirts and shirts. She also said that she plans to sell dry foods from her home so that she will have an income to support herself and her mother.
“With a new leg I can do whatever I want to do and after my mother is gone I can look after myself,” May Oo said. “I want my mother to stop working and I would like to support my mother for a long time.”
May Oo’s mother also said: “My daughter couldn’t work and didn’t look normal but now she can stand and it will be this way for her whole life. She can plan her life and have a future which is easier. She will get a new leg and can do everything she wants to do. The whole family is so happy.”
She added that she is so happy that her daughter can now plan her future and follow her dreams. “Before the road had a dead end and the future we could not imagine. Now the road is open and there are choices that my daughter has.”
A month after the surgery, May Oo still experiences some numbness and minimal pain, for which she has medication. She looks forward to the t...
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