Seng Heap is a 43-year-old primary school teacher from the Banteay Mean Chey province of Cambodia. Seng Heap lives with her husband who is also a teacher and they have one son who is currently in the sixth grade.
When Seng Heap was seven, she had an ear infection. The infection caused a cholesteatoma, or abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. Seng Heap experiences hearing loss, tinnitus, and frequent ear discharge in her right ear due to this cholesteatoma. Although Seng Heap visits a pharmacy for medicine when she experiences pain, she continues to get recurrent infections. Now, her symptoms cause Seng Heap to have difficulty sleeping, working, and communicating. She said that she finds it difficult to hear what other people are saying to her and is ashamed that she cannot communicate.
Fortunately, our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), can help. On June 6th, Seng Heap with undergo a mastoidectomy procedure to help regain her hearing. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma that is causing her symptoms. CSC is requesting $926 to fund this procedure. This sum covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care.
Seng Heap said, “I hope I will stop ear infections and improve my hearing after this operation”