Samen is a 39-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He has one son and two daughters, all of whom are students in public school. He and his wife have a rice farm. However, he works in construction during the off-season in order to support his family. In his free time, Samen enjoys listening to music and watching Khmer boxing.
Two years ago, Samen developed a pterygium in his right eye, causing him to experience burning, irritation, and itchiness in his eye. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. As a result, he has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside.
When Samen learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, he traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. He needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of his procedure is $225. This covers supplies, treatment, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for August 8th.
Samen says, “l hope after surgery my eye will feel better and I won’t worry about it anymore. I want to be able to see better when I am outside.”
