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Success! Swe from Burma raised $1,500 to fund heart surgery to replace her valves so that she can breathe and live healthy.

Swe
100%
  • $1,500 raised, $0 to go
$1,500
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Swe's treatment was fully funded on December 10, 2022.
November 25, 2022

Swe lives with her parents and her son in a village in northern Burma. Her father is subsistence farmer, her mother owns a small weaving business where traditional Burmese blankets and sarongs are hand woven. Her son goes to school and Swe is a homemaker. In her free time, she enjoys visiting and talking to her friends in their village.

In December 2021, Swe began to experience fatigue, sweatiness, vomiting and difficulty breathing. She also had a headache and a stiff neck. At first she could not travel due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, but eventually went to Mandalay in August to seek help. At a hospital, she received an echocardiogram and was diagnosed with mitral valve stenosis and aortic valve regurgitation. She was told she would need surgery costing 15 million kyat (approx. $15,000 USD), but she could not afford to pay for it.

She then went to Yangon with her son, in the hopes of finding another hospital that cost operate on her for less money. While in Yangon, her condition deteriorated and her son rushed her to a hospital. The doctor there confirmed her diagnosis and her need for surgery, but told her it would cost 20 million kyat (approx. $20,000 USD). When Swe told the doctor that she could not afford to pay such a large sum, the doctor referred her to an abbot, who in turn referred her to our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) for financial assistance accessing treatment.

Currently, Swe cannot walk for more than 10 minutes or she feels very tired and short of breathe. She has a rapid heartbeat, dizziness and headache.

She said, “I want to say thank you so much to BCMF and all the donors to help me with my treatment cost.”

Swe lives with her parents and her son in a village in northern Burma. Her father is subsistence farmer, her mother owns a small weaving bus...

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Swe's Timeline

  • November 25, 2022
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    Swe was submitted by Bridgitte Agocs at Burma Children Medical Fund.

  • November 25, 2022
    TREATMENT SCHEDULED

    Swe was scheduled to receive treatment at Pun Hlaing Hospital in Burma. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.

  • November 28, 2022
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Swe's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • December 10, 2022
    FULLY FUNDED

    Swe's treatment was fully funded.

  • TODAY
    AWAITING UPDATE

    Awaiting Swe's treatment update from Burma Children Medical Fund.

Funded by 25 donors

Treatment
Double Valves Replacement (Mitral and Aortic) with Tricuspid
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $7,429 for Swe's treatment
Subsidies fund $5,929 and Watsi raises the remaining $1,500
Hospital Fees
$1,211
Medical Staff
$1,053
Medication
$0
Supplies
$4,686
Labs
$80
Radiology
$80
Other
$319
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

​What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

Patients may experience excessive sweating, extreme tiredness and fatigue, irregular heartbeat, rapid breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain, lightheadedness, or loss of consciousness.

​What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

Patients cannot do labor work—even doing household chores may tire them. Adults will be unable to care for their families, and children will be unable to play or attend school. As the condition progresses, patients may become unable to eat.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

Patients cannot afford to go to the hospital. Many people rely on medications provided by dealers who are not authorized pharmacists.

  • Process
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Risks and side-effects
  • Accessibility
  • Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

Damaged valves are repaired and replaced during open heart surgery.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

This surgery saves lives. Children will return to school, and adults will return to working and caring for their families.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Potential side effects include bleeding, infection, fever, swelling, inflammation, arrhythmias, damage to surrounding organs, stroke, and death. Heart surgery is more likely to be life-threatening for patients who are very sick before the surgery.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

Many of our medical partner's patients live in remote areas. They cannot afford or access treatment because it is only available in large cities.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

There are no alternatives. If left untreated, this heart condition is life-threatening for patients.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Sai

Sai is a six-year-old kindergarten student. He lives with his parents and siblings (a 12-year-old brother who is in grade four and a 11-month-old sister) at Mae Sot District, Tak Province in Thailand. His father is a daily worker and works as a blacksmith. Sai’s mother is a homemaker who looks after the children at home. Sai was born with a healthy delivery however just after his sixth birthday, his mother noticed that Sai’s left eye was red. He told her that it was not painful, so they did not worry about it. In June 2022 though, his mother saw that there was a white dot in the pupil of Sai’s eye. When his mother covered Sai’s right eye and asked if he could see, he answered that he did not see clearly. Sai had his eyes checked at Mae Tao Clinic and the medic suspected that he had a cataract. He was sent to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for further investigation. He was referred to the ophthalmology department which later the doctor diagnosed him with mature left eye cataract. Currently, Sai’s vision in his left eye is blurry and he has trouble seeing the board when he is in the classroom. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Sai. On December 9th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Sai's natural lens and replace it with an intraocular lens implant. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Sai’s mother said, “We cannot afford to take a loan (for the surgery) because we would have to pay the interest. There is less work during the pandemic and so it makes things very hard to have such a large loan. My words cannot express the thanks that I feel. It is so lucky for us to have the assistance from BCMF and donors.”

75% funded

75%funded
$1,126raised
$374to go

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Sai

Sai is a six-year-old kindergarten student. He lives with his parents and siblings (a 12-year-old brother who is in grade four and a 11-month-old sister) at Mae Sot District, Tak Province in Thailand. His father is a daily worker and works as a blacksmith. Sai’s mother is a homemaker who looks after the children at home. Sai was born with a healthy delivery however just after his sixth birthday, his mother noticed that Sai’s left eye was red. He told her that it was not painful, so they did not worry about it. In June 2022 though, his mother saw that there was a white dot in the pupil of Sai’s eye. When his mother covered Sai’s right eye and asked if he could see, he answered that he did not see clearly. Sai had his eyes checked at Mae Tao Clinic and the medic suspected that he had a cataract. He was sent to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for further investigation. He was referred to the ophthalmology department which later the doctor diagnosed him with mature left eye cataract. Currently, Sai’s vision in his left eye is blurry and he has trouble seeing the board when he is in the classroom. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Sai. On December 9th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Sai's natural lens and replace it with an intraocular lens implant. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Sai’s mother said, “We cannot afford to take a loan (for the surgery) because we would have to pay the interest. There is less work during the pandemic and so it makes things very hard to have such a large loan. My words cannot express the thanks that I feel. It is so lucky for us to have the assistance from BCMF and donors.”

75% funded

75%funded
$1,126raised
$374to go