“I can’t walk, and my leg is in pain,” says Touch, a 37-year-old farmer who lives with her husband, son, and daughter in Cambodia. When she is not tending to her farm, she looks after her children and cooks and cleans at home, but her work and daily activities have been impacted by her pain.
“Touch has been experiencing hip pain for one year, mostly at night,” our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us. “She can walk at most 100 meters before walking becomes very painful.”
Touch has developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), a dislocation of the hip that is present at birth and can lead to hip osteoarthritis if not treated. DDH results from laxity of the ligaments that hold the hip joint in place and is more common in women and in babies born in breech position. Trauma to Touch’s hip from a fall when she was approximately six months old may have complicated her current condition.
Symptoms of DDH include pain, differing leg lengths, and increased turn-out and reduced range of motion of the involved leg. “Touch’s right hip is painful, and her right leg is shorter than her left leg,” explains CSC.
For $430, Touch will undergo hip replacement surgery to remove the deteriorated portions of the hip joint and replace them with new, artificial parts. Funding also covers the costs of two weeks of hospital care (including labs and imaging), physiotherapy, and six follow-up appointments during the first year after surgery. “After a hip replacement surgery,” says CSC, “Touch will be able to walk without pain.”
“I hope I can walk without pain after surgery,” shares Touch. “When I am healed, I will go home and return to working on the farm.”