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Success! Saw Eh from Thailand raised $1,486 to fund hernia repair surgery so he can grow in good health.

Saw Eh
100%
  • $1,486 raised, $0 to go
$1,486
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Saw Eh's treatment was fully funded on December 8, 2022.

Photo of Saw Eh post-operation

January 23, 2023

Saw Eh underwent hernia repair surgery so he can grow in good health.

Saw Eh’s surgery was a success! He is now free of pain and loves to run around and play with his older sister and friends. His mother was overjoyed to see her son no longer experiencing pain and shared: “I will support him to go to school and become whatever he wants to become to be a benefit for other people. Thank you to the organizations and to all donors for helping Saw Eh.”

Saw Eh's surgery was a success! He is now free of pain and loves to run around and play with his older sister and friends. His mother was ov...

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August 4, 2022

Saw Eh is a two-year-old boy who lives with his mother and older sister in a refugee camp in Thailand. Both he and his older sister go to nursery school. His mother weaves and sells traditional Karen clothing to earn extra money in addition to the small amount they receive every month on a cash card.

When Saw Eh was two months old, he began crying a lot and his mother noticed swelling in a sensitive area. He received medication at the hospital in the refugee camp, which helped alleviate his discomfort and crying. However, Saw Eh began experiencing pain in the same sensitive area this past June. This pain often causes him to miss school, as well as to cry frequently again. His mother shares that when he cries, she must hold him, meaning she no longer has time to weave clothes. During the short moments when the pain lessens after taking painkillers, Saw Eh loves playing with his friends and his sister.

When his family brought him to the hospital, a medic told them that they would have to wait for a doctor to visit the refugee camp. When Saw Eh was finally seen by a doctor in late July, he and his family were referred to our medical partner’s care center, Mae Sariang Hospital, for treatment. He was diagnosed with hydrocele in his left scrotum and a left inguinal hernia. Due to his severe condition, the doctor admitted him and scheduled his surgery to take place that same night, August 4th. However, Saw Eh’s mother shares that she cannot pay for her son’s needed treatment due to financial constraints.

Fortunately, she was referred to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), for financial assistance accessing treatment. On August 4th, surgeons will perform hernia repair surgery to treat Saw Eh’s hernia and help alleviate his symptoms. BCMF is requesting $1,486 to fund his surgery and care.

Saw Eh’s mother shares, “I feel so sad when I see my son in pain. I love to see him playing with his sister, but if he is in pain, he will cry a lot.”

Saw Eh is a two-year-old boy who lives with his mother and older sister in a refugee camp in Thailand. Both he and his older sister go to nu...

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Saw Eh's Timeline

  • August 4, 2022
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    Saw Eh was submitted by Bue Wah Say, Project Officer at Burma Children Medical Fund.

  • August 4, 2022
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    Saw Eh received treatment at Mae Sariang Hospital in Thailand. 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.

  • August 5, 2022
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Saw Eh's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • December 8, 2022
    FULLY FUNDED

    Saw Eh's treatment was fully funded.

  • January 23, 2023
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    Saw Eh's treatment was successful. Read the update.

Funded by 31 donors

Funded by 31 donors

Treatment
Hernia repair
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $1,486 for Saw Eh's treatment
Hospital Fees
$380
Medical Staff
$463
Medication
$40
Supplies
$491
Labs
$70
Radiology
$10
Other
$32
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

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

The most common symptom is swelling, a lump or a bulge in the affected area. The bulge, lump or swelling will be more pronounced when standing up, bending down or coughing and can disappear when lying down. Some patients also experience pain or discomfort at the site of the hernia. Overtime, pain can increase at the site of the bulge, especially while doing certain activities such as lifting objects. The bulge can also increase in size over time. Patients can also experience a sudden and severe pain at the site of their hernia.

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

Over time, a hernia can grow larger and more painful. Due to the symptoms of the hernia, adult patients may have difficulty caring for their families and completing day-to-day chores. They may miss work or lose their jobs altogether, resulting in a decrease in income for their families. Children can miss school or drop out, resulting in a lower quality of life in the future. Untreated, hernias can cause life-threatening complications. Complications of an untreated hernia include strangulation, where a part of the intestine becomes trapped between abdominal tissue, which cuts off blood supply to that area of the intestine. The patient may experience nausea, vomiting, acute pain, bloody stool and a fever.

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

Many adult patients with inguinal hernias, especially male patients, feel too embarrassed to seek medical attention due to the fact that inguinal hernias affect their groin, an area of the body still considered taboo to talk about in our local cultures. Because of this, they will usually only seek treatment when their condition is severe and they are in a lot of pain. Due to the severity of their condition, they will usually need to undergo urgent surgery. Additionally, hernia patients from low-income households will delay seeking medical care because of financial difficulties paying for treatment and travel to a hospital. Migrant patients may not know how to go about accessing care in a local hospital, and may refrain from seeking help because they do not speak Thai.

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

What does the treatment process look like?

The patient undergoes a blood test and an ultrasound scan if the doctor thinks it is necessary to confirm a diagnosis. For adult patients without any underlying conditions, hernia repair surgery can be performed quickly. However, if the patient has underlying conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, their underlying condition must be managed before they receive surgery. A patient usually spends about 2-3 days in the hospital.

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

After the surgery, the patient will no longer experience pain and will be able to resume normal daily activities. Any other symptoms caused by the hernia such as nausea or vomiting will be alleviated.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Potential risks of undergoing surgery for hernia repair includes a wound hematoma, bladder injury, an infection at the site of the surgery and allergic reactions to anesthesia. In addition to this, a hernia can reoccur after surgery, pain from undergoing abdominal surgery may not diminish and digestive complications can arise if a section of the intestine needs to be removed. In male patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair, the testicles could be harmed if connecting blood vessels are damaged. Additionally there could be nerve damage or damage to nearby organs.

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

Hernia repair is available at most district hospitals in Thailand. However, since most migrant and refugee patients have to pay out of pocket, most cannot afford to pay for it. Additionally, the language barrier keeps many patients away. Therefore, many migrant patients will go through a number of clinics before they are referred to Burma Children Medical Fund. BCMF works with partners who have staff assisting non-Thai speakers in the hospital with navigating appointments and translation.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

Hernias can only be treated through surgery and rarely get better on their own. Laparoscopic surgery is an alternative type of surgery for hernia patients. This type of surgery is less invasive and leaves smaller scars than open surgery. Because of this, recovery time is faster. However, most hospital in Thailand do not use this method of treatment.

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100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Samuel

Samuel is a 21-year-old talkative young man. He is the second born in a family of five children. His father passed away when he was four years old, so his mother had to raise him and his siblings by herself. She does jobs on tea farms to provide for the family. When Samuel was two years old, his abdomen started to swell, which was very painful for him. His mother took him to the hospital and he was given some medication and sent back home. The medication did not work as expected. He was then taken to a different hospital for examination. He was given more medication and after some time he seemed to be better. The stomachache did not go away completely, however. Samuel and his mother shared that over the years, he has had stomachaches and gotten used to taking pain medication. In 2017 when Samuel was in high school, the pain worsened and his abdomen started to swell again. He had to leave school as a result. His mother took him to a hospital in Meru where he was admitted for three months. While in the hospital, scans and a biopsy were done to determine what the problem was. He was given a colostomy, where the end of the colon is brought through an opening in the abdominal wall, in order to pass stool. This surgery is often performed to bypass bowel malformations, but colostomies are usually temporary and may call for closure. In Samuel's case, his colostomy requires closure in order to restore bowel function and prevent future complications. At that time, his doctors did not manage to treat him and referred him to BethanyKids Hospital in 2018. On arrival, he was examined and admitted, as he was not in good condition. After more scans and tests, he was ultimately diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease. Since then, Samuel has undergone several surgeries with the aim of trying to better his condition. The first surgery failed, but the second was successful. He is now scheduled to undergo his last surgery to close the colostomy so that he can pass stool on his own again and live a more active life. Earlier in his treatment, Samuel's parents had enrolled in the national health insurance program (NHIF), which helped them pay for most of his hospital bills. BethanyKids also chipped in on occasion to help with some of the bills. Unfortunately, for his last surgery, NHIF has rejected the request since he is beyond the age to be covered by his mother’s insurance. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping him to undergo treatment and needs $1,084 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for Samuel. The surgery is scheduled to take place on November 11th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Samuel’s Mother says, “For years now, I have been very worried about my son, but God has seen us through.”

82% funded

82%funded
$893raised
$190to go

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.