Project Report
| Aug 21, 2024
Refugee in need
We currently have a patient who needs help with their heart surgery cost in Bangkok. The patient's name is Chomphoo and she is a 16-year-old Burmese refugee in Thailand from the migrant area in Mae Sot. She is currently in Bangkok for surgery at Kasemrad Prachachue Hospital and we are reaching out for your help.
The estimated cost for Chomphoo is around 7,000-8,000 USD. Many thanks to you all for your support. Here is her story from Burma Childrens Medical Fund...
Chomphoo is a 16-year-old girl who lives with her mother, stepsister and half-sister in Mae Sot, Tak Province, Thailand. She was only able to complete grade two before she had to start working alongside her father when they could not afford to pay for her tuition fees. Until recently, Chomphoo used to work as an elderly caregiver in Bangkok but stopped at the beginning of June 2024 due to her deteriorating health. Her sisters go to school and her mother is a shop vendor. She earns 5,000 baht (approx. 167 USD) per month which is not enough to cover their daily expenses and pay for basic health care. Currently, Chomphoo’s mother borrowed 20,000 baht (approx. 667 USD) from Chomphoo’s aunt to help cover their daily expenses, pay for transportation and some of Chomphoo’s treatment expenses.
Around May 2024, Chomphoo developed a cough and fever. She went to a clinic in Bangkok where she received medication that did not help her. Her condition deteriorated and she would become easily tired after talking or working. She would feel dizzy and sometimes she would fall over. She would also have rapid breathing when laying down at night. When her employer noticed her symptoms, it reminded her of her husband’s symptoms, who had passed away from a heart condition. Her employer then brought her back to the clinic where she received a blood test and was diagnosed with anaemia. She received medication but again it did not help.
Chomphoo was brought back by her employer and this time the doctor listened to her heart with a stethoscope and told them that she most likely has a heart condition. The doctor told them she would need to undergo investigation in a hospital in Bangkok to confirm this diagnosis. Since Chompoo does not have any legal documentation, her employer was concerned about bringing her to a hospital in Bangkok. She then called Chomphoo’s mother and together they decided it was best to send Chomphoo back to Mae Sot where her mother could take her to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH).
Chomphoo arrived in Mae Sot on 9 June 2024 and the next day she was admitted at MSH. She received two units of blood during a transfusion and felt so much better that she was discharged afterwards. However, once they exited the hospital, Chomphoo started to experience severe chest pain and difficulty breathing, so she was readmitted that day. While admitted she underwent various diagnostic tests including a blood test and an echocardiogram (ECHO) on 13 June 2024. She was diagnosed with severe mitral valve regurgitation and infective endocarditis. The doctor told them that Chomphoo has a problem with a valve in her heart, her heart is enlarged, and she also has an infection in her heart. She was given antibiotics intravenously multiple times in a day. Unfortunately, a day or two later, Chomphoo had a stroke and developed temporary hemiparesis in the right side of her body. She received a computerised tomography scan on 21 June 2024 which confirmed that she did have a stroke.
Before Chomphoo was discharged on 27 June 2024, the doctor told them that Chomphoo would need to receive surgery soon or she could have another stroke which could causes permanent paralysis. Since she needed to continue receiving antibiotics intravenously every couple of hours until her surgery, the doctor referred Chomphoo to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), where it would cost them less to admit her and continue her treatment. Chomphoo’s mother was then charged 40,455 baht (approx. 1,349 USD). With the help of Chomphoo’s employer, who gifted them 10,000 baht (approx. 333 USD) to help with Chomphoo’s treatment, and the last of their savings, Chomphoo’s mother was able to pay 30,419 baht (approx. 1,014 USD) of the admission costs.
When MTC staff learned of Chomphoo’s need for surgery and her financial situation, a medic brought Chomphoo and her mother to a free ECHO screening at MSH held by paediatric surgeons and cardiologists from the Save Blue Heart Foundation on 14 July 2024. A doctor checked her ECHO result from MSH and confirmed her need for surgery in Bangkok. A medic then referred Chomphoo to Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) for assistance accessing treatment.
Currently, Chomphoo experiences symptoms of fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing on and off. Her symptoms worsen when she does not rest but disappear after resting. She also has constant pain in her arm where she receives the antibiotics intravenously several times in a day, and in her jaw and neck. “Sometimes the pain [in my arm and neck] is so bad that I want to die,” said Chomphoo.
In her free time, Chomphoo enjoys playing games and watching YouTube on her phone as well as painting. “She really wants to study again but I can’t afford to pay for her school fees. So, she said she will go back to work and support me,” said Chomphoo’s mother. “I don’t really plan much for the future because tomorrow we don’t know what will happen. So, I try to focus on today and stay happy. If my daughter’s [Chomphoo’s] condition is ok today, then I am happy.”
![Share on Twitter]()
![Share on Facebook]()
