With funding, children like Kyeik Ou Ma can get life-saving treatment and lead normal lives.

BCMF takes on children who present at the Mae Tao Clinic with a diverse range of medical conditions which cannot be treated either at the Clinic or the local Thai hospital. These cases include congenital heart disease, hydrocephalus, meningocele, congenital deformities and other conditions such as hypospadia and Hirschprung’s disease. We have also recently funded the treatment of a young boy with Thalassaemia.

Cases are identified at the Mae Tao Clinic by local medical staff and referred to the BCMF program. The Program Manager will evaluate children identified as in need of special medical procedures and assess and evaluate the recovery prospects of the patient. A decision is made if a child needs to be referred to a major metropolitan hospital for treatment taking into consideration many factors inlcuding cost of treatment; available resources; chances of survival without treatment; expected improvement in quality of life; and the overall prognosis. Cases with the greatest probability of being corrected with a single surgery are given priority.

BCMF are also in the process of expanding their program to include funding for special adult cases and treatment of debilitating gynaecological conditions such as uterine cysts, masses, and fistulas.