Provide lifesaving healthcare for Burmese refugees

From May to September, we are grateful to share that Watsi supported 57 live-changing surgical care in the region. Thanks to you and to Watsi’s donors from around the world for generously supporting our project and helping us to provide healthcare for Burmese refugees, displaced persons, and those impacted by conflict in the region. At Watsi, we have the privilege of hearing directly from each patient about how access to critical healthcare improves their quality of life, impacting not only their lives but also entire families and communities. We wanted to share a few stories with you of how your support was put to work over the past few months to change lives for the better.

Sanda* is a 21-year-old woman, currently living in a refugee camp in Thailand with her husband, son, parents-in-law, and two brothers-in-law. She is originally from Karen State in Burma and has been at the camp since March 2020. Her plans to return to Myanmar after visiting her brother were interrupted by unexpected COVID-19 travel restrictions and the ensuing civil war, leaving her far away from her home. In August, Sanda needed to have a c-section due to a high-risk pregnancy. As healthcare in the camp is limited to basic services, our medical partner was able to help Sanda deliver her baby. Grateful for the support she received, Sanda shared, “I aspire to become an assistant teacher at a nursery school in the future.”

Tida* is a 16-year-old student living with her family in a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. She shares her home with her parents, two older sisters, two older brothers, and two younger sisters. Tida and her younger sisters are in school. In her free time, Tida enjoys spending time with her friends at the monastery, helping with cleaning tasks. In September, Tida was experiencing severe abdominal pain, dizziness, and difficulty sleeping. After seeing a doctor, she was diagnosed with appendicitis and urgently needed surgery to prevent her condition from worsening. Tida underwent an appendectomy with the help of our medical partner. Tida’s older sister was anxious, “I felt very sad and worried when I saw her in so much pain.”

In October, we received a request to fund surgery for Kan*, an 11-year-old student from Burma who lives with his family in a refugee camp in Thailand. His father has a shop in the camp while his mother is a homemaker. Kan and his three younger brothers attend school in the camp. A few days ago, Kan began to experience troubling symptoms, including abdominal pain and vomiting. He was diagnosed with appendicitis and now needs urgent surgery. Kan needs your help to raise $1,500 for his procedure and care. Kan shared, “I have pain in my abdomen and I cannot touch it. It is very painful. I want this pain to stop,” said Kan.” With support from GlobalGiving donors, we can help Kan recover so he can go back to school, play with his friends, and enjoy time with his family.

* Names have been changed for privacy