Meet Phanun, a 15-year-old boy from Cambodia who likes to play football, listen to music, and watch TV during his free time. To support his family of seven siblings, Phanun decided to stop going to school and start working at a restaurant.
Phanun recently got his fingers caught in a sausage machine while working at the restaurant. Although he went to a hospital in Phnom Penh for treatment on the day of his accident, the condition of his hand has only worsened. His right index finger is very swollen, and his fractured middle finger causes him a lot of pain. Using his injured hand is very difficult. Furthermore, there is severe necrosis, or tissue death, in his middle finger. If left untreated, this could spread to other tissue in his hand, causing further pain and complications.
Phanun's parents learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), from a relative. Phanun traveled for four hours with his mother to reach CSC for treatment. On March 17, surgeons at CSC will amputate Phanun's middle finger in order to prevent the necrosis from spreading. This will allow the rest of his right hand to heal. Over time, he will regain full function of his hand. Now, his family needs help to pay for this $446 procedure.