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While refugee medical screenings are a staple in an extensive list of resettlement steps, every now and then our agency receives a newcomer with more complex medical needs.  

When Thida* and Aung* arrived in Columbia, Missouri with their medical care advocate, the Catholic Charities team was ready with the special care they required for Aung’s heart condition.

While refugee medical screenings are a staple in an extensive list of resettlement steps, every now and then our agency receives a newcomer with more complex medical needs.  

“When an individual we’re helping resettle has high medical needs, we’re alerted before they arrive and they travel with a medical escort,” explained David Mazimano, Acting Director for Case Management Operations in the Catholic Charities Refugee Services program, based in Columbia, Missouri.  

Such was the case in August of 2022, when preliminary data prepared case managers to receive a single mother, Thida* and her young son, Aung* who were resettling from Burma to mid-Missouri to be reunited with family, and dealing with a cardiovascular complication that required specialized treatment. 

“We went right to work reaching out to our partners at Compass Health who provide refugee medical screenings for our clients, and then coordinating that care with pediatrics center MU Women’s and Children’s hospital for additional care upon arrival,” David shared. 

“Sure, this is an uncommon medical situation, but it’s not an uncommon picture of how our staff cares for refugees we receive,” David continued. 

While grant-funded resettlement work can limit funding available to complex situations like Thida and Aung’s, their case manager remains invested in navigating resources to support working as a single parent, transportation, referrals to cardiac specialists and care teams, and the more common aspects of resettlement – school enrollment, cultural orientation, and English language training – together. 

“Navigating life with a medically fragile child is one thing – navigating those health challenges while rebuilding your lives in a new country is another,” David said, “That’s why at Catholic Charities we always treat ‘cases’ as individuals, looking at any avenues, resources, and community support that can make sure families in situations like these have what they need.”