This, too, shall pass. Be strong!
Mya is only eight years old, but she has already endured more than many people face in a lifetime.
For years, conflict and instability prevented her from attending school. She had been able to complete only kindergarten, and her education was put on hold. Yet her father never gave up on the dream of seeing his daughter learn and succeed.
At last, three years after completing kindergarten, that dream seemed within reach.
On June 1, 2026, Mya was supposed to begin Grade 1. She was excited to start school for the first time. Because there was no functioning school in their village, her family planned to move to the Bago area, where she could attend classes and her older siblings could find work. While waiting for a rental house to become available on the last day of April, the family stayed in a temporary shelter in the village near a paddy field.
Then, on the morning of April 29, everything changed.
At around 10:30 a.m., Mya was playing outside a small hut beneath a large tree. Without warning, a military drone dropped a bomb near the shelter.
The explosion destroyed the hut instantly.
Her father and her 16-year-old sister were killed. Her 20-year-old brother suffered devastating injuries to his arm and legs. Mya herself sustained multiple wounds to her back, buttocks, and arm. Her left leg was traumatically amputated in the blast.
Only her mother and her 18-year-old sister survived unharmed because they happened to be on the opposite side of the large tree when the bomb exploded.
In a single moment, Mya lost her father, her sister, her home, and the future she had imagined.
The journey to medical care was long and difficult. She was transferred through several clinics before finally arriving at our Raintree Clinic in the early hours of April 30.
When she arrived, she cried uncontrollably.
Yet even in the midst of overwhelming pain and grief, her thoughts turned to her father.
Through her tears, she said, “I will try to become a doctor one day.”
When asked why she wanted to become a doctor, she answered simply:
“Because my father wanted me to become one, so I can treat sick people.”
Those words revealed something remarkable about this young girl. Even after losing so much, she was still thinking about helping others.
Over the following weeks, Mya underwent multiple surgeries, including a below-knee amputation and later skin grafting procedures to repair extensive wounds on her back and buttocks. Day after day, she endured painful dressing changes and treatments.
Her brother was transferred to higher medical care, for specialized orthopedic care. Unfortunately, the severity of his injuries ultimately led to the amputation of his left arm.
Throughout her hospitalization, Mya deeply missed her family. She longed to see her mother again and worried about her brother. Yet despite her own suffering, she became a source of encouragement to those around her.
When she grew tired of lying in bed, her sister would carry her through the ward to visit other patients. Many of them were struggling with severe injuries and emotional trauma. Some cried because the pain felt unbearable.
Mya would sit beside them and offer words that seemed far beyond her years.
“I was in your place,” she would tell them. “I overcame it. You can overcome it too. Be strong.”
The little girl who had lost her leg was now helping others find the strength to keep going.
After nearly two months of treatment and care at our clinic, Mya was finally discharged. Her wounds had healed well, and she was eager to return home.
What she looked forward to most was not the end of treatment, but being reunited with her family. She talked about seeing her mother again, eating her mother's cooking, and visiting her friends.
Most of all, she talked about school.
Although her father would never see her walk into a classroom, she remained determined to pursue the dream he had for her.
One day, she quietly shared a concern that weighed heavily on her mind.
“I may be late to go to school this year.”
For many children, missing a few months of school would be a minor inconvenience. For Mya, who had already waited years for the opportunity to study, it felt significant.
She knows that when she returns to school, she will have to use crutches. She explained that her mother or sister may need to accompany her because she cannot carry an umbrella and a lunchbox while using crutches at the same time. But she looks forward to the day she receives a prosthetic leg and can go to school independently.
When asked how she would respond if classmates mocked her for using crutches or a prosthetic leg, her answer stunned everyone around her.
“I have prepared for that,” she said. “I will be strong. I will only say to those who criticize me, ‘You say this because you were not in my place. I will forgive you.’”
There were no tears in her eyes when she spoke those words. Her voice was calm and gentle. Yet behind that softness was a determination that could not be ignored.
Mya's story is not simply a story of loss.
It is a story of courage.
It is a story of hope that survived tragedy.
It is a story of a little girl who lost her father, her sister, and her leg, yet still dreams of becoming a doctor. A girl who encourages other patients while recovering from her own wounds. A girl who chooses forgiveness instead of bitterness.
Many people who have suffered life-changing injuries struggle to find hope for the future. Yet Mya reminds us that strength is not measured by what we have lost, but by our determination to keep moving forward.
At just 8 years old, she carries a dream that no bomb could destroy — a dream planted by her father and sustained by her own remarkable courage.
And one day, perhaps, that little girl who once whispered through tears about becoming a doctor will fulfill the hope her father saw in her and spend her life helping others heal.
Medical source: By Dr. Hsar
