In response to inquiries from our generous donors regarding thank-you letters sent to multiple donors by a single patient, we wish to clarify the following:
1. Annual Assistance: Our foundation supports approximately 350-400 children with congenital heart disease annually. The cost of treatment varies widely:
• Approximately 25% of children require assistance of 40,000-50,000 THB.
• Approximately 50% of children require assistance of 80,000-100,000 THB.
• Approximately 25% of children (those with the most complex conditions requiring extended hospitalization) require assistance exceeding 100,000 THB, and in some cases, several hundred thousand THB.
2. High-Cost Medications: Many patients require expensive medications, including:
• Targocid (antibiotic): Approximately 1,000 THB per bottle, with a 14-day course costing 14,000 THB per child.
• Gas NO (Nitric Oxide): 120,000 THB per tank, lasting 6-8 months (used for multiple children).
• Iloprost (pulmonary vasodilator): 1,525 THB per bottle, with an average of 7-12 bottles needed per patient (60% of patients require this medication).
• Cancidas (antifungal): 8,000 THB per bottle, with a course requiring approximately 7 bottles (56,000 THB total).
• Albumin (blood protein substitute): Approximately 1,500 THB per 250 cc bottle, with an average of 5-20 bottles needed per patient depending on the surgery.
3. Medical Equipment: Significant funding is also required for medical equipment, including:
• Syringe Pumps: 44 pumps at approximately 40,000 THB each.
• High-Frequency Ventilators: 1.3 million THB per unit.
• RAD-7 Handheld Pulse Oximeters: 4 units at 60,000 THB each.
• CompoDocks2 Blood Bag Dividers: 2 units at 620,000 THB each (for dividing blood bags into smaller portions for infants).
• CoaguChek XS Systems (blood coagulation monitors): 40 units at 22,000 THB each, plus approximately 1,200 THB per box of test strips (6 strips/box), with an average of 15 boxes needed per month. Additional equipment is also required.
4. Pediatric Cardiac Unit: The foundation also supports the construction and equipping of a pediatric cardiac unit at Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital, including a 1.3 million THB donation from Nu Skin and an additional 2,750,000 THB for medical equipment.
Given these substantial costs, it is often necessary for a single patient’s thank-you letter to acknowledge multiple donors. We express our deepest gratitude to all donors for their continued support and sincerely hope for your continued generosity.
Patcharawalee Uthayanan
Board of Director and Treasurer
Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Foundation
