Provide lifesaving healthcare for Burmese refugees

Thank you for your generous support for our project and helping us to provide healthcare for Burmese refugees, displaced persons, and those impacted by conflict in the region. Because of people like you, between February – April 2024, 48 patients were able to receive life-saving and life-changing surgical care who otherwise would not have had access to it. At Watsi, we have the privilege of hearing directly from each patient about how access to critical healthcare improves their quality of life, impacting not only their lives but also entire families and communities. We wanted to share a couple of snapshots with you of how your support was put to work over the last quarter to change lives for the better.

We are grateful to share stories of some of the individuals we have helped over the past three months. Say is 31 years old and has been living in a refugee camp in Thailand for more than ten years after fleeing the conflict in Burma. She lives with her husband, her elderly father, and three young children. Say’s family receives cash cards from a non-profit organization in the refugee camp. While basic healthcare is provided by the International Rescue Committee, advanced care is not available for refugees living in Thailand.  

For two years, Say was experiencing pain, discomfort, and pressure in her abdomen. She was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst. In February, Say underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy. This procedure relieved her of her symptoms and will decrease the risk of further health complications. Say is grateful for the support she received and hopes to find a job as a nursery teacher in the camp.  

In March, Kyaw, a five-year-old boy from Burma underwent eye surgery to reattach his retina as he injured his eye while playing with friends. After a friend accidentally hit his eye, Kyaw started to experience blurring and tearing, sensitivity to light, pain, itching, and redness around the eye. Had he not received surgery, Kyaw could have lost his vision completely.

As a Burmese living in Thailand, healthcare services are not readily available for Kyaw and his family. Kyaw’s mother shared, “I am very thankful to the donors… It is good to know I can depend on others for support like this. Without you, it would be very difficult for me to help my son.”

Moo lives with his wife and three children in a refugee camp. He is a homemaker while his wife studies at the local school. Two of his children go to school, while the youngest stays home with him. Moo was experiencing troubling symptoms, including fever and abdominal pain. In April, Moo underwent an appendectomy to prevent his condition from worsening. 

As a refugee in Thailand, his healthcare is not supported by the government. Moo is grateful they received support as, “no one can look after my youngest child while my wife studies,” Moo shared.