January 29, 2023
The Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Foundation (PCSF), in collaboration with Mae Sot Hospital, Child’s Dream Foundation, and the Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) – an organization supporting impoverished children in Southeast Asia lacking access to healthcare – conducted a vital medical outreach program. Our medical team provided screenings for children with heart conditions at Mae Sot Hospital.
Within weeks of announcing the program, 107 children from border regions, many facing extreme hardship, made the arduous journey. Some walked for three days along natural trails, lacking proper travel documents; others waited up to seven days to ensure they wouldn’t miss their appointment. Their plight was heartbreaking; they desperately sought survival and healing.
Our medical team worked tirelessly for 12 hours, conducting examinations and echocardiograms for all 107 children. 45 children underwent surgery, 5 received catheter-based interventions to close heart defects, and 11 received imaging studies for further planning. All patients were from impoverished backgrounds, with 17 being Thai citizens and the remainder stateless children of Myanmar and Karen descent. Some traveled from remote jungle areas, clinging to the faint hope of life-saving heart evaluations and surgery – a distant dream for those struggling with food insecurity and living in unstable border regions.
Together, we shall make their impossible dreams become true!
