Meet Our New Patients

One of the most heartbreaking parts of a visit to a TB clinic is seeing people come from all over, just desperate to get onto treatment.  These patients have normally failed multiple rounds of DOTs treatment and know that their only hope of cure is to get onto a MDR program.  The awful reality is that for every patient you accept, you must be able to pay for their very expensive medicine - not just for one year but probably 2 - 3 years, depending on how quickly they convert.  Some people are lucky enough to be admitted to the program.  Because of the amazing fundraising work that our SFS community have done, we have new patients!  Lets meet them ...

New in Spring 2011

Choonggook Oh 

Mr Oh is 28 years old and has now been on treatment for 10 months.  We are currently awaiting results from his sample to see how he is responding to treatment.   Mr Oh was having some trouble with his breathing because his TB has badly damaged his lungs, but wanted us to know that he will work to keep his hope up.  You can see him on the Hearts to Serve Video.

Jeonghyuk Sim

Mr Sim is 31 years old and has also been on treatment for 10 months.  We are looking forward to hearing how he is doing after the spring visit.  He is very grateful to be on the program.

Youngok Moon

Ms Moon is 33 years old and has been in treatment since April 2011.  She is managing to keep up with her medication and is anxiously awaiting her results in the Spring to find out how she is responding to it.

Sunggook Kim

Mr Kim is 43 years old and is very grateful to have made it onto the MDR program.  He is being faithful to take his medication although it makes him feel very ill.  He is also anxiously awaiting Spring results to find out how his body is responding.

Okkyung Ri

Ms Ri is 21 years old.  She has been in treatment since April 2011 and is looking forward to finding out her results in the spring.  She is hoping to have converted to negative.  We hope so too.

The results of the first sputum tests for all of the above patients confirmed that they have MDR-TB - when they were accepted, it was assumed they did as they had failed multiple rounds of DOTs treatment.  As you can see, Spring 2012 will be the first time that these patients will see how they are responding to their medications.

New in Fall 2011

Cholryong Ku

Jounggil Kim

Kwangsu Han

These three patients were enrolled in the program, having failed multiple rounds of DOTs treatment.  At this stage, we assume they are MDR positive.  Sputum samples were taken and we are awaiting the results, which should be known in Spring 2012.  

So there you go SFS!  New patients ... all with a chance at health because of your generosity.  Keep up the great work and lets pray for our patients.  Pray that they will be strong, take their medicine, that the the medicine makes them well and that they are comforted when they feel sick and lonely and a long way from their families.