Panha is a happy child from Kampong Chhnang province, approximately two hours away from the capital of Phnom Penh. She lives with her parents, an older sister, and her grandparents. Her father works in a local cloth weaving factory, her mother sells groceries, and her grandparents are rice farmers. At home, Panha likes to help her mother with the groceries and play with dolls. Her favorite meal is fried chicken and soup.
Panha was born with macrodactyly of the toes on her left foot. Macrodactyly is a condition where toes or fingers are abnormally large due to the overgrowth of bone and soft tissue.
Her parents are worried that as she grows, she may have difficulty walking, wearing shoes, and being teased by other kids when she starts school.
Because her family could not afford care for her, a clinic referred her to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Center (CSC), where they hoped she could receive free or low-cost care.
Doctors at CSC have determined that one of her toes needs to be amputated, and two other toes must be disarticulated (separated from the joint to avoid further disfigurement). Her parents need assistance with the cost of the $479 operation to cover the cost of surgery, medications, hospitalization, and physical therapy post-operation.
Panha’s mother said: “I hope my daughter’s foot will look normal like her other foot. We want her to walk without problems as she grows and hope children will not make fun of her when she goes to school.”
