Remembering a Special Evening,
for a very Special Person 

Saturday, 01 June 2013

On 22 March 2013, a frightening fire swept rapidly through the tinder-dry bamboo structures of the Ban Mae Surin refugee camp in a remote area of Northern Thailand,  37 people lost their lives. One of the heroic rescuers, a 14-year-old boy called Chaa Nay Choo, suffered terrible burns trying to saving others. Only an advanced burn unit could save him, and that was hundreds of miles away, in Chiang Mai. Being a stateless refugee, he had no free access to Thailand's medical services, far less a specialised centre for serious burns. Somehow, the months of treatment and skin grafts would have to be paid for.

So this was what happened.....

For more than one month, his condition remained extremely critical. He weathered an episode of cardiac arrest, the flu, pneumonia, numerous infections, and more than fifteen skin-graft operations. Individual and corporate donors and supporters from around the world sent funds to ensure Chaa Nay Choo could receive the very best treatment, and he soon began responding favorably to the excellent medical care, supplements, equipment, and medications we were able to provide on behalf of our donors. 

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) made it possible for several members of his family to make the trip to Chiang Mai to visit him, and compassionate staff members from Free Burma Rangers (FBR) provided essential translating services and moral support. 

Although he had to wear special pressure garments on his hands and legs for over a year, the lengthy series of skin graft operations he stoically endured were a success. His face, which received relatively superficial burns compared to other parts of his body, healed extremely well. He had to wear a brace on his neck six months to ensure that his neck muscles and skin wounds healed properly.  

Chaa Nay Choo talked about the fire that destroyed his home and left him severely injured. He recalls that along with an older brother, he was part of a group of five young men who worked to carry others to safety.  One reached safety with minor burns, the other three boys died. The last thing Chaa Nay Choo remembers about the day of 22 March is being covered in flames himself, and unable to continue helping others, jumping into the river that bisects Mae Surin camp. 

When asked what he would like to do in the future when has grown up, he says: "I would like to visit a foreign country, if I have the chance. Then, I would like to come back here to help my people." 

Finally, Chaa Nay Choo would like to say "Thank you - very very much" not only to all the people around the world who donated towards his medical costs, but also everyone who kept him in their thoughts and prayers during his long period of recovery.

The event to support the boy's life-saving medical treatment was co-organised by the Best Friend Burmese Library (renamed the Burma Study Centre) and two Chiang Mai residents.

Supported entirely by volunteers and donations, the Centre provides free education for the people of Burma/Myanmar, as well as information and research materials about the country for members of the international community.  Since welcoming its first members in 2010, Burma Study Center has maintained the largest public, English-language collection of books, reports, periodicals, and films about Burma in Thailand. 

It has become a vital community resource through its partnerships with a number of universities, media groups, and organizations. Members have conducted and published research, participated in academic events and community forums, and led numerous campaigns advocating for genuine political reform and respect for the human rights of people of all ethnicities and religions in Burma. 

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