Success! Kry Ya from Cambodia raised $709 to fund nerve surgery and restore his mobility.

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$709 raised, $0 to go

$709

raised

to go

Kry Ya's story
Kry Ya's update

September 5, 2022

Kry Ya is a 26-year-old factory worker with three brothers and two sisters, all are married and live in other homes. Kry Ya’s parents are vegetable sellers. In his free time, Kry Ya enjoys singing, listening to music, playing games, and playing football with friends.

In July, Kry Ya was in a motor vehicle accident that caused paralysis of his left shoulder. Kry Ya has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. At this time, Kry Ya is unable to lift his left arm preventing him from working.

Kry Ya traveled to our medical partner’s care center to receive treatment. This is the only center in the country where this treatment is available. On September 5th, Kry Ya will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, he will be able to use his hand again. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, is raising $709 to fund this procedure.

Kry Ya shared, “I hope I can regain function of my arm as soon as possible.”

Kry Ya is a 26-year-old factory worker with three brothers and two sisters, all are married and live in other homes. Kry Ya's parents are ve...

Photo of Kry Ya post-operation

February 13, 2023

Kry Ya underwent nerve surgery and restore his mobility.

Kry Ya had a complex brachial plexus repair surgery with our medical parter CSC. After a week at the hospital, he was able to return home. This surgery is life-sustaining for him; it will allow him to regain the use of his left side so that he can improve his chances to avoid a permanent disability. He is working closely with the physiotherapy team to regain strength, as it may be many months until he sees a complete return to his full function. He is hopeful to have a complete recovery so his family does not have to support him. He would like to find a good job and marry one day, and it has been very hard for him to be so young, yet dependent on others for self-care. Surgeons look forward to seeing him over the next several months to check on his progress.

Kry Ya said: “I am grateful to the CSC staff for trying to fix my arm. My family is so happy that I survived the accident and was able to receive help for my injuries. Now I have hope to work again. Please thank everyone who donated so that I could have surgery and can be more independent.”

Kry Ya had a complex brachial plexus repair surgery with our medical parter CSC. After a week at the hospital, he was able to return home. ...

September 5, 2022
PROFILE SUBMITTED
Kry Ya was submitted by Sieng Heng at Children's Surgical Centre.
September 5, 2022
TREATMENT OCCURRED
Kry Ya received treatment at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre in Cambodia. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.
September 6, 2022
PROFILE PUBLISHED
Kry Ya's profile was published to start raising funds.
January 31, 2023
FULLY FUNDED
Kry Ya's treatment was fully funded.
February 13, 2023
TREATMENT UPDATE
Kry Ya's treatment was successful. Read the update.

Funded by 17 donors

Treatment

Brachial Plexus Injury Surgery

Cost Breakdown
Diagnosis
Procedure

On average, it costs $709 for Kry Ya's treatment

Hospital Fees

$92

Medical Staff

$566

Medication

Supplies

$43

Labs

Radiology

Symptoms
Impact on patient's life
Cultural or regional significance

What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

Symptoms of brachial plexus injury (BPI) vary on the severity and location of the injury, but include muscle weakness, loss of sensation, pain, and paralysis. BPI can cause neuropathic pain with damage to the spinal cord and can be long-lasting, with effects such as burning numbness.

What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

The impact of a brachial plexus injury can range in severity; some patients may experience weakness or great pain, others may be paralyzed in their shoulder and upper arm. This can make day-to-day tasks difficult and impair quality of life.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

Motorcycle collisions are the most common cause of brachial plexus injury, and are, unfortunately, an exceedingly common occurrence in Cambodia.

Process
Impact on patient's life
Risks and side-effects
Accessibility
Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

Treatment for brachial plexus injury can involve nerve repair, nerve grafting, nerve transfer, or tendon and muscle transfers depending on the location and type of injury, and the amount of time since the injury occurred. A nerve repair involves reattaching a severed nerve; nerve graft is a procedure that takes a healthy nerve from another part of the body and transplants it to the injured nerve to guide regrowth; a nerve transfer is a procedure that cuts a donor nerve and connects it to the injured nerve when there is no functioning nerve stump to attach a graft. Nerve regeneration occurs approximately at a rate of 1 mm/day, and so recovery from a brachial plexus injury can take months for small improvements. Physical therapy during this time is important to prevent stiffness, contractures, or atrophy and increase the chances of regaining good movement in the affected limb.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

While BPI surgery may not restore full movement to a patient, it can greatly increase the patient’s ability to use the affected limb and reduce the pain of the injury.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

BPI surgery is complicated and risks include infection as well as failure to restore movement, which would require further surgery.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

Surgery to treat brachial plexus injury can be very complex and not widely performed. Surgical treatment in Cambodia can be expensive and hard to access. Patients will travel for hours by car, motocycle, and bus to receive free surgery at CSC.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

Brachial plexus injury can have a range of severity; some patients may be able to be treated by splinting or physical therapy, but serious cases require surgical intervention. These types of injuries do not have alternatives to improving movement and functionality.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Racheal is a 25-year-old woman from Uganda. She pursued a career as a nursery teacher, but unfortunately stopped teaching due to difficulties with her employer. The experience deeply impacted her, and Racheal decided the best course was to temporarily leave her profession. She now works as a farmer, but hopes she can return to teaching. After two difficult pregnancies, Racheal now has one child who was born in 2022. She is currently pregnant and hopes to safely welcome her baby into the world. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family. Racheal doctors recommend that she deliver via a cesarean section because of two previous scars. This way, doctors can ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Racheal undergo a C-Section on July 6th. This procedure will cost $252, and Racheal needs your support. Racheal says, “I am currently financially unstable yet am about to deliver; I request your support to assist me in delivering my baby safely and will be very glad for the offer. I will now start to look for jobs after delivery to resume teaching.”

Janet is an 18-year-old student and the second of three children in her family. Her parents do not have regular employment but do work whenever they can get it at a neighboring flower farm. Janet was doing well in her early years, but in 2020, she began falling, and started experiencing headaches, with symptoms similar to epilepsy. Sometimes her eyes were affected, causing blurred vision. She began falling more frequently, and she was admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital, where a brain tumor was diagnosed. Janet had a successful craniotomy (brain surgery). Following the surgery, she developed a limping gait, had difficulty talking, and experienced non-typical body movements. Over time, she seems to have improved as she continues with therapy. Janet started experiencing new symptoms just a few weeks ago. She began crying at night but could not explain her problem. Eventually, it was determined that her left hand was not straightening out and it was suspected that Janet may have fallen and broken her hand without knowing it. An x-ray showed a closed fracture dislocation of the left elbow. Janet's mother was advised to bring her to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), and their care center. The surgeon has recommended an Open Reduction Internal Fixation (ORIF). This surgery will hopefully mend Janet's elbow. If not treated, Janet will continue to have pain. She may not be able to use her hand, and the fracture may develop malunion, or a permanent deformed healing. Fortunately, surgeons at AMH can help. On September 5th, Janet will undergo surgery. AMH is requesting $1,049 to fund this fracture repair procedure. Unfortunately, the family is not in a position to meet this cost. “My daughter does not even understand what is going on because of her other condition, but I plead for her support so that she can be able to use her hand in the future,” said Janet’s mother.

Kolaboth is a 21 year-old university student who lives in Phnom Penh with his parents and younger sister. As the first in his family to attend college, Kolaboth is in his third year of studying Economics. Right now, he enjoys research, but he does not know what he would like to do once he graduates. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer with his friends. Around four years ago, Kolaboth began experiencing a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, weight loss, and trouble sleeping. Frequent illness caused him to miss school and he is unable to play sports like he used to. Kolaboth was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $265 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Kolaboth, which is scheduled to take place on September 14. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Kolaboth of his symptoms and help him live much more comfortably. He shared, "I hope I can feel better and continue my studies without always having an infection."

Kry Ya's Timeline

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Funded by 17 donors

Treatment

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100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.