Myo Pa Pa Lwin
Myo Pa Pa Lwin is 7 years old. She lives in Pago Division in Burma with her family. She has a younger brother who is 3. She had an older brother who died when he was 13 from Leukemia and an older sister who died when she was 9 after she was bitten by a dog. Her father says he noticed his child’s health problem three months ago. At the time, Myo Pa Pa Lwin started getting nose bleeds and she was very tired when she played. Her parents took her to a local clinic. The medic there told them to take her to Rangoon Hospital. At Rangoon Hospital the doctor told them that she would need a heart operation and that it would cost them 250,000 kyat (US$250). However, the family could not afford this, they could not even afford the 100,000 kyat (USS 100) that the tests had already cost them. They could only afford to pay 40,000 kyat (USS 40) - this was the family’s entire savings.
Myo Pa Pa Lwin’s father is a farmer. However, there is not always work every day for him and he does not get paid if there is no work. He earns 20,000 kyat (US$20) a month. Myo Pa Pa Lwin’s mother stays at home and minds the other children. They heard about Mae Tao Clinic from Myo Pa Pa Lwin’s uncle who lives in Mae Sot. He told them that the clinic provided free health care. It cost them 50,000 kyat (US$ 50) to get to Mae Sot and took them three days traveling to get here. They came to Mae Tao Clinic because they could not afford treatment in Burma and came to Mae Sot hoping that the clinic could treat the child. Myo Pa Pa Lwin’s father borrowed money off his brother in Burma to get to the clinic.
Myo Pa Pa Lwin says she feels very tired when she plays and that her joints hurt her a lot also. Her father says that he hopes she gets well and can get an education and do whatever she wants when she is older, but now she is not attending school because she is not well. Myo Pa Pa Lwin says that she would like to be a teacher when she grows up.
Her father says that it is very difficult for the family as they have no money to pay for her treatment and they are so worried she will die. Her father says he is very scared as he has already lost two children he could not help and he does not want to see his daughter die.
Previous page: Jai Ma
Next page: Su Myat Thu