Sun is a 60-year-old farmer from Cambodia. Sun is married with three sons, four daughters, and 11 grandchildren. She lives with her husband and her daughter. Sun enjoys listening to monks pray on the radio.
Five years ago, Sun developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her irritation, tearing, itching, and burning. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside.
When Sun learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, she traveled for four and a half hours with her daughter seeking treatment. Sun needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $216. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for November 16th.
Sun shared, “I hope my eye will get better after surgery so I can go outside easily on my own.”