Veasna lives in Kampong Cham, Cambodia, with his single mom and younger brother. His mom sells spices from home to support her sons to attend school. In his free time, Veasna likes to play basketball with his friends. Currently, his best grades are in math, and he enjoys all subjects at school.
At the age of two, Veasna had a seizure and was taken to a nearby hospital. Since then, his mom noticed a foot deformity getting progressively worse. He visited a nearby clinic to have splinting, but the condition has not improved, and it has become difficult to walk, play with his friends, and wear shoes.
Veasna and his mom traveled one and a half hours to Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). Doctors will perform an achilles tendon lengthening surgery. This will allow him to distribute weight across his whole foot, giving him greater balance and ease of walking. After a physiotherapy program, Veasna will be able to walk like any other kid.
He told us, “I would be happy if I can walk more normally and be able to walk to school and play basketball without it hurting.”