Meet Thandar
She is a 34-year-old woman who lives with her husband, son and daughter in a village in Bago Division. Since she developed pain in her hips in 2016, she has been unable to work and care for her children. Her husband, an
agricultural day labourer, must care for their children in addition to working full-time.
When Thandar first experienced pain in her hips, she tried to treat the pain with traditional medicine. Overtime, the pain increased and Thandar sought help at a clinic. She was given oral medication and an injection to alleviate the pain. Over the course of a year, she returned several times to the clinic for more medication. In early 2017, the pain worsened until she was no longer able to walk. After her neighbours insisted she seek help at
hospital, she went to one in Yangon. At the hospital she received an x-ray and the doctor diagnosed her with avascular necrosis in both of her hips, a condition where bone tissue dies due to a lack of blood supply. She was told that she would need to undergo hip replacement surgery but she could not afford to pay for her treatment. Luckily her cousin, a previous Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) cardiac patient, suggested they ask help from the organisation in based in Mae Sot, Thailand. She and her husband then made the 10 hour trip to BCMF's office. After reviewing her case, BCMF staff worked with Health For All (HFA) to support her two hip replacement surgeries at Yangon Orthopedic Hospital.
Thandar went to Yangon Orthopedic Hospital on 21 August 2017. After undergoing diagnostic tests, she remained admitted until her hip replacement surgery on her right hip on 7 September 2017. "The doctors explained that I would need another surgery for my left hip in a few months because they were worried that I wouldn't be able to bear the pain and that my recovery would be delayed if they operated on both my hips at the same time," she said.
After her first surgery, Thandar felt much better. However, a few months later, the pain in her left hip worsened. After she talked to HFA staff, she went back to Yangon Orthopedic Hospital. She was then admitted at that hospital on 26 March 2018. On 5 April 2018 she underwent surgery to replace her left hip. After the procedure, the doctor informed her that once she was discharged she would have to return in two weeks' time to remove her stitches. Thandar was worried as soon as she was told this because she could not afford to pay for transportation back and forth between the hospital. She pleaded
with the doctors to let her stay at the hospital until her stitches could be removed. Luckily, the doctors agreed, and she was allowed to stay until she was discharged on 18 April 2021.
Although she was in pain from the surgery, Thandar felt much better after the operation. She felt much lighter and thought she looked better. “Maybe this is because my blood circulation has been restored and I feel very happy about it,” said Thandar. For the time being, the doctors have instructed her not to put weight onto her left leg for
long periods of time. They will examine her again after a month, and if they are happy with her recovery, Thandar will be able to start walking again.
Thandar said, “I have mixed feelings right now. I'm very sad that I wasn’t able to afford my own treatment but I'm happy at the same time that someone helped me become healthy again. Once I've made a full recovery, I will start working again and I will save some money. I can’t give you [BCMF and HFA] back anything but instead my family will try its best to help those who are in need. We will always be grateful for all the help we received.”