Meet Nyo Nyo
16-year-old Nyo Nyo lives with her parents in Kayin State, on the Thai border. Her parents are farmers, and her two older sisters in Bangkok support her school fees. Although she loves school, Nyo could not start her final school year because of her cardiac condition.
When she was eight years old, Nyo developed chest pain and difficulty breathing. Her parents took her to Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), a free clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand, where she was diagnosed with a cardiac condition. She was told that she will need to go to Chiang Mai for surgery. Her parents were worried about the surgery and believed that the surgery would kill her. Instead, they went to a hospital in Yangon, where the doctor told them that Nyo would need to take medication to avoid having further heart problems.
Her family had to pawn some of their belongings to pay for her treatment.
For two years, Nyo took her medication regularly. Her symptoms were relieved, and a doctor commented that her condition had greatly improved. Nyo’s family believed that her condition was cured and stopped buying more medication for her.
In 2017, Nyo’s symptoms returned. She experienced the same chest pain, difficulty breathing, fatigue and discoloration of her lips as before. Her symptoms caused her to be late for school or miss school altogether. This was distressing to Nyo, as she values her education greatly. Her parents took her back to MTC for treatment. After being referred to Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) by a medic at the clinic, she was referred to BCMF's sister organisation Health For All (HFA) in Myanmar, who in turn referred her to Pinlon Hospital in Yangon for surgery. In early March 2018, Nyo returned to Pinlon Hospital after her final exam. She was later admitted for her heart surgery, which she received on 2 April 2018. A week later, she was discharged.
Despite only recently having surgery, Nyo already feels markedly better. Her fatigue and difficulty breathing has been alleviated entirely. While she used to struggle walking up flights of stairs, she can now do this with ease. The most exciting change for Nyo is the prospect of starting school again. She will attend grade 10 in June 2018. She said, “I could not study before because I was too tired. I couldn’t even carry my backpack to school. I used to stay at the dormitory, but after having to go to the hospital one time in June [2017], the dorm mother said I could not stay there anymore. Now I will be able to continue my education.”
Without support for her treatment, Nyo and her family would have struggled to pay, and she may have lived the rest of her life coping with her symptoms. They are grateful for the support.