Phearith is ten-year-old student from Cambodia. He lives with his family in Kampongcham province. His mother is a farmer and he has three older siblings. His father passed away when he was two years old. He told us he enjoys reading books at school and eating chicken soup, and during free time, he likes to play with his sister.
Five years ago, Phearith had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. Phearith now experiences itchiness and pus discharge in his ear, and the condition is not responsive to medicine. His family has had to pay for ear drop treatments that have not healed Phearith’s ear.
Phearith traveled to our medical partner’s care center to receive treatment. On June 4th, he will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in his right ear ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, is requesting $925 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care.
Phearith said, “I hope that I can have good ears again because I want to be a policeman and I need good hearing.”