Htein is a seven-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his mother, sister and two brothers in the village in Karen State Burma. Htein’s mother is a homemaker and the sole caregiver of her four children. His sister is the income earner for the family and works as an agricultural day laborer. The income she makes covers their monthly expenses.
Htein had an ultrasound on August 24th at a clinic for abdominal pain and discomfort. The results showed that Htein might have stones or cysts in his kidney that were causing a chronic infection, but the results were unclear. The doctor suggested that Htein’s mother bring him to a hospital for further investigation.
Doctors want Htein 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 his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan.
Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $469 to cover the cost of Htein’s CT scan and care, scheduled for February 5th.
Htein said, “It is so painful. I would like to get better as soon as possible.” Htein’s mother added, “When we heard that my son’s condition cannot be cured with medication, my daughter and I cried because we realized that we cannot afford the expensive treatment cost. We thought that we would lose him. The medic there told us that they would be able to help us with transportation, so that reduced our stress, but we were still worried. After we met with Burma Children Medical Fund and learned that there would be donors to support us accessing treatment for Htein, I was so relieved. I was so happy to hear that the donors would help us. Burma Children Medical Fund will make us stronger again with my son’s treatment. There are no words except thank you. We are grateful and never expected such help.”