Miss Moi Namsaeng, 14 years old, is a Shan person. She lives at 169 Moo 11, Ban San Sai Mai, Mae Sai Subdistrict, Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai Province. Her father is Master Yot and her mother is Mrs. Chan. Nong Moi said that she is in Mathayom 1/2 at Ban San Sai School. Her original home is on Doi Mae Salong. She has 3 siblings, an older sister named Ae, and an older brother who passed away when Nong Moi could not remember. Her parents used to sell strawberries, but later they lost money, so they switched to general labor. When she was 4 years old, she would get tired when walking, her face was pale, her fingernails and toenails were green, and when she talked a lot, she would have trouble breathing, be out of breath, and feel dizzy. When it was hot, she would faint easily. As she grew older, her condition worsened and she could not play sports with her friends. The teacher told her father to take her to Mae Sai Hospital. The doctor said that she had a heart septal defect.
After that, the hospital sent her to Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital for further examination. The doctor said that she had a heart septal defect and that the hole was getting bigger. She needed to have surgery as soon as possible because if she left it untreated, it would be dangerous. The hospital will send her to have the surgery at a hospital in Chiang Mai Province, but she has to pay the expenses herself, around 100,000 baht. When she found out about Nong Moi,
… So, Moi and her older sister waited in Bangkok in case the hospital called her for surgery so that they wouldn’t have to spend too much money on travel expenses.
Finally, on September 1, 2009, the Children’s Heart Surgery Foundation contacted Moi to have a checkup and undergo surgery at Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital on September 3, 2009.
After the surgery, Moi’s condition improved a lot. Her mouth, fingernails, and toenails were no longer green. She could speak for longer without getting tired. Moi said that she was very happy to have the surgery. She wanted to recover so that she could play sports and do other activities at school like her friends. She would like to thank the Children’s Heart Surgery Foundation, Dr. Phiraphat, and Dr. Malinee for helping with the expenses for this surgery, and thank you for giving a new life to a girl who, even though she is not Thai, Moi said that she is Thai in body and heart. She will study hard, listen to her teachers, and be a good child in the future.
