War Shin
 |  |
War Shin is one year old, his mother noticed her child's health problem when the child was 40 days old. He did not respond to light and other stimulus and she became very worried. His mother brought him to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), where the eye doctor told them to return when the child was 3 months old so they could get a better assessment of the child’s condition. When she came back to Mae Tao Clinic, the doctor told her she would need to go to the local hospital, Mae Sot Hospital (MSH), for further diagnostics as MTC does not have the capacity for extensive testing. At MSH they told her they also could not treat her child’s condition. They told her that he would need to go to Chiang Mai for surgery to correct his vision impairment. There is no way the family can afford this treatment, let alone navigate the obstacles for getting to Chiang Mai – War Shin’s family are illegally living in Thailand.
War Shin’s family live near Mae Tao Clinic, in Mae Pa on the Thai-Burma border. War Shin's parents met and married in Thailand. They both came to Thailand to find work and are both from Kaw Ka Rate in Burma. War Shin's mother stays home and cares for her child. His father works in a furniture painting factory. He earns 5000 baht (US$142)/month. Out of this the family have to pay for all their expenses, including for food, rent and utilities.
War Shin's mother says that the family will do whatever they have to to get their child well. She hopes the child can get better so that he grows up healthy and can live a good life.