Savuth is a 70-year-old rice and potato farmer from Tboung Khmom province in rural Cambodia. He lives with his wife and his grandson, who help him on the farm. He hopes that his grandson will take over the farm soon. When not working on his farm, he likes to listen to old music from when he was younger.
Last April, he was accidentally cut with a knife that fell on the top of his left foot. He went to a local hospital for a laceration repair, but he has difficulty lifting the top part of his foot. The front of his foot drags on the ground when he walks, which is a sign of an underlying muscular or anatomical problem. He shared that he feels embarrassed that he cannot walk well and has difficulty when he is outside on his farm.
Fortunately, the referral hospital told him to go to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, where plastic surgeons specialize in this kind of care. Savuth traveled three hours for a diagnosis, and surgeons will perform a tendon repair on his foot on December 13th. He now needs help to pay for the $572 procedure, which will cover hospitalization, surgery, medicines, and post-operative rehabilitation. When his ankle has healed, he will have an improved gait and can return to full activity.
Savuth said: “I hope I can walk better and not have any pain after this operation.”
