Success! Mao from Cambodia raised $1,500 to fund spinal surgery.

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$1,500 raised, $0 to go

$1,500

raised

to go

Mao's story
Mao's update

September 5, 2017

Mao is a 49-year-old pig farmer from Cambodia. Last year, she fell at her home, which resulted in an injury to her spine. Mao has been taking painkillers to reduce the pain in her back. Mao reports that she experiences pain when she walks or carries out simple tasks around the house.

Mao travelled for two hours to visit our medical partner’s care center, Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, where she was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis occurs when one vertebra slides forward over the bone below it, causing pain and sometimes weakness in the legs.

On September 5, doctors will perform a spinal surgery to restore her ability to walk without pain. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, is asking for $1,500 to cover the cost of Mao’s surgery.

Mao is a 49-year-old pig farmer from Cambodia. Last year, she fell at her home, which resulted in an injury to her spine. Mao has been takin...

Photo of Mao post-operation

September 19, 2017

Mao underwent spinal surgery.

Mao’s surgery went smoothly, and she’s doing very well post-op. Surgery was an important intervention to keep her condition from worsening. Mao’s operation will greatly improve her quality of life by reducing pain and improving her ability to walk, work, and complete tasks around the house.

She says, “I’m already able to sleep much better. Thank you.”

Mao's surgery went smoothly, and she's doing very well post-op. Surgery was an important intervention to keep her condition from worsening. ...

September 5, 2017
PROFILE SUBMITTED
Mao was submitted by Lindsay Bownik, Stakeholder Relations Officer at Children's Surgical Centre.
September 5, 2017
TREATMENT OCCURRED
Mao received treatment at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre in Cambodia. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.
September 18, 2017
PROFILE PUBLISHED
Mao's profile was published to start raising funds.
September 19, 2017
TREATMENT UPDATE
Mao's treatment was successful. Read the update.
January 8, 2018
FULLY FUNDED
Mao's treatment was fully funded.

Funded by 30 donors

Treatment

Spinal Surgery

Cost Breakdown
Diagnosis
Procedure

On average, it costs $1,500 for Mao's treatment

Hospital Fees

$160

Medical Staff

$722

Medication

Supplies

$610

Labs

Radiology

Symptoms
Impact on patient's life
Cultural or regional significance

What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

Patients experiencing severe back pain may also experience fever and chills, unexplained weight loss, sudden bowel and/or bladder incontinence, and severe, continuous abdominal pain. Back pain may be caused by vertebrae, the small bones of the spine. The back conditions for which surgery is recommended include degenerative disk disease, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, fracture, infection, and tumor.

What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

Patients with severe back pain experience difficulty walking, sleeping, sitting, riding a motorcycle, working, going to school, and carrying out everyday tasks. If the pain affects a patient's ability to work or go to school, the patient will be unable to earn money to support his or her family or continue his or her education. Patients may experience discomfort and difficulty breathing.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

Cambodian culture emphasizes the importance of working hard and earning money to support the family. When a patient is unable to work, he or she may feel helpless or may experience financial difficulty.

Process
Impact on patient's life
Risks and side-effects
Accessibility
Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

There are several types of spinal surgeries performed to treat back pain: Spinal fusion: This is the most common surgery for back pain and is used to keep the spine stable after injury, infection, or a tumor. The surgeon joins the spinal bones (vertebrae) together. In a spinal fusion for scoliosis, the surgeon attaches rods, hooks, wires, or screws to the curved part of the backbone to straighten and stabilize the spine. Laminectomy: In this procedure, the surgeon removes parts of the bone, bone spurs, or ligaments in the back. This relieves pressure on spinal nerves and can ease pain or weakness. Foraminotomy: The surgeon cuts bone at the sides of the vertebrae to widen the space through which nerves exit the spine, relieving pressure on the nerves and easing pain. Diskectomy: A disk, the cushion that separates the vertebrae, can slip out of place, pressing on a spinal nerve and causing back pain. In a diskectomy, the surgeon removes all or part of the disk to relieve pain. Disk replacement: A surgeon removes the damaged spinal disk and inserts an artificial one between the vertebrae. Interlaminar implant: The surgeon implants a U-shaped device between two vertebrae in the lower back. This device helps keep the space between them open and eases pressure on the spinal nerves. Bone grafting will also be performed to support the spine and stimulate bone healing.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

The patient will be able to work or go to school without pain.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

As with any operation, there are potential risks associated with spinal surgery. These include: Infection: Antibiotics are regularly given to the patient before, during, and after surgery to lessen the risk of infection. Bleeding: A certain amount of bleeding is expected, but this is not typically significant. Pain at bone graft site: A small percentage of patients will experience persistent pain at the bone graft site. Recurring symptoms: Some patients may experience a recurrence of their original symptoms. Nerve damage: It is possible that the nerves or blood vessels may be injured during these operations. These complications are very rare. Blood clots: Another uncommon complication is the formation of blood clots in the legs.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

Spinal surgery is not widely offered in Cambodia, especially for low-income patients who cannot afford treatment. Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) provides this procedure free of charge. Patients travel to CSC by bus, taxi, or motorbike from all over Cambodia.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

Patients that do not seek a surgical procedure may try exercises and medication. However, these forms of treatment may not be effective.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Ny is a 62-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has a daughter, three sons, and five grandchildren. She and her husband live near their children and help them on the farm. She enjoys keeping the house clean, cooking for her family, and listening to local monks pray. Three months ago, she was in a motorbike accident and fell on her left forearm, fracturing her forearm bones. Pins and wires were inserted by a local hospital to support the bones until they healed. The pins, called K-wires, have migrated out of their intended location and must be removed. The wires cause pain, increase the chance of infection, and risk injury to nerves or tendons. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On March 12th, Ny will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $304. This procedure will remove the misaligned pins and allow her fractures to continue to heal. Ny said, "I hope to have no pain, and my arm will heal well so I can take care of my family."

Enita comes from Ntcheu District and is a widow who lost her husband in 2011. She has 6 children of which the first four are married while the last two are aged 18 and 16 respectively. She is a farmer who is also supported by her last two children. Enita is grateful when she has time to rest and enjoys eating anything available. Enita was well until 10 years ago when she noted a small lump on the right side of her neck that was not painful. She did not bother visiting the hospital since this problem did not affect her daily activities. As time passed, the lump kept on growing bigger and bigger though without pain up until December 2023 when she shared that things got out of hand with her condition. She noted a blister that was very painful and affected her daily activities. She decided to visit her son who lives in the city of Lilongwe where different tests were done, and a diagnosis of goiter was made at Kamuzu Central Hospital. She was then referred to our medical partner's care center Partners in Hope Medical Center (PIH) for further management. Currently, she is experiencing pains from the scratched wound on her neck, neck heaviness, and frequent coughs that have affected her daily activities. On January 19th, Enita met the surgeon who confirmed the diagnosis of right goiter and the need for surgical intervention called thyroidectomy, which is the removal of part of the thyroid gland. Enita was referred to the Watsi program for assessment due to her financial instability. After a thorough assessment, she was eligible and thanks everyone for their consideration. Her daughter-in-law is helping commit some funds for her treatment support and their family needs help raising $1,015. Enita believes that the surgery will help her get better and continue to live a normal life. She shared, “Kindly help me. I need my peace of mind.”

Sokhom is a 49-year-old mother of four from Cambodia. She lives in a rural area around two hours from the nearest specialist clinic. Sokhom and her husband are rice farmers. They have one child, in the 6th grade, living at home with them, while the three older children live near a factory where they work. In her free time, Sokhom studies Buddhist books and farms vegetables at her house. Years ago, Sokhom had an ear infection that caused her right eardrum to perforate. For this reason, Sokhom experiences pain and frequent discharge in her ear. She has difficulty hearing and frequently feels feverish and unwell. Sokhom traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 27th, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation in her ear drum. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $487 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She shared, "I hope I can stop this problem and make my hearing better so I can feel healthy and take care of my family."

Mao's Timeline

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Funded by 30 donors

Treatment

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100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.