Ko Ko
Before Surgery
The family first noticed Ko Ko’s health problem five months ago. First they thought it was a cold but he got progressively worse and had difficulty breathing. They then the noticed polyps in his nose. Ko Ko received medical care in Rangoon Hospital where they removed the smaller polyps in his nose, but they grew back bigger than before. This cost them 400,000 Kyat.
The family heard about Mae Tao Clinic from people in their village, they did not know how to get here but a person from the village drove them to Myawaddy. It cost them 8000 Kyat and the journey took 5 hours.
Ko Ko’s mother says his illness is stressful for the family both emotionally and financially. The family hopes that when he is better they can send both the twins to high school, as no one in the family has a higher education. Ko Ko says he wants to get better so he can go to school.
Ko Ko is back in Mae Sot for a follow up appointment after his nasal polyps were successfully removed at Chiang
Mai Hospital in January. His mother says their experience was great, she says that she was very anxious before the operation about what would happen in Chiang Mai, especially about money as she had only 60 baht to bring with her for both of them. However, she says that she needn’t have worried, all the staff took excellent care of them and everything was provided. She says the staff were wonderful and really helped her. She also says that there was a communal atmosphere among the patients and carers and they shared meals together at the safe house. She also said that there were no translating problems, and that even the hospital cleaning staff, who spoke Burmese, helped her when she needed it.
Ko Ko says that he no longer feels pain. He can breath normally and he looks much healthier. Ko Ko is so different from before, he has more energy, is happier and playful. His mother says that he is eating well and putting on weight.
Before he got sick Ko Ko’s favorite thing to do was go to school. He was often too sick to go to school as he was in pain and couldn’t breath properly. He is looking forward to going back to school and says that his favorite things to do at school are reading and painting. He loves to read cartoons and paint them, and to also paint flowers.
Before his operation, Ko Ko’s mother says that she could not take care of her other younger child as she had no time. She also could not work. She says that now that Ko Ko is better she will have more time for her children and work and she can start to make plans for the future. She says her older children will probably go to Bangkok to find work and the rest of the family may come to Mae Sot to look for work.
When he first went home to Burma all his family were very happy to see him, especially his older brother and sister who contributed money to help find him treatment. They were very happy that he was well again. Ko Ko’s twin brother was also very happy to see him. When Ko Ko got sick he wanted to travel with them, but the family did not have enough money – he is happy to see his brother back.
Ko Ko says that he would like to be a doctor when he is older so that he can help people who are ill like he was. His family also wants him to become a doctor and they will do whatever they can to ensure he gets a good education.
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