Sursdey is a five-year-old preschooler from Cambodia. She lives about three hours away from the capital city, Phnom Penh. She has a seven-year-old brother in second grade and a younger brother who is two years old. Sadly, her father has recently passed away, so her family resides with her grandmother in Kampot province, where her mother works as a teacher. Sursdey has just started kindergarten and has decided that she wants to become a teacher when she grows up. At home, she enjoys playing with her brothers or with dolls. Her favorite food is eggs, which she likes either fried or mixed with rice.
Sursdey was born with syndactyly of both feet and her right hand. This means that her right 3-4 fingers are fused, and her 1-2 and 3-4 toes are fused on both feet. The fusion of her fingers significantly impacts her fine motor skills development. Although she doesn’t feel pain, holding a pencil or a cup is difficult. Additionally, due to the syndactyly of her toes, wearing shoes is challenging.
Fortunately, on July 9th, surgeons will perform a syndactyly repair procedure to separate and release the fused fingers and toes. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, is requesting $462 to fund this procedure. After surgery, the affected fingers and toes can develop correctly, which should prevent potential bony fusion and further complications. In addition, she will be able to wear shoes comfortably.
Sursdey’s mother said, “After this operation, I hope my daughter can hold a pencil, wear shoes, and have fingers like other children when she starts school.”