Hem is a 57-year-old rice farmer from Pailin Province in Cambodia. She is married and lives with her 64-year-old husband. They have four children. Her first and second children are rice farmers, her third child works for an organization, and her youngest child is a teacher. In her free time, she enjoys listening to monks praying and keeping up with the news.
Hem has a herniated disc at the L4-L5 level of her lower spine, a condition in which a spinal disc presses on nearby nerves. She has experienced intermittent lower back pain for approximately three years, but about one month ago, the pain began radiating down the back of her left leg. She also experiences intermittent numbness in her left leg and weakness when extending her left toe. These symptoms have made walking and carrying out her daily activities as a farmer more difficult.
Hem was referred to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), by a relative. She traveled approximately seven hours from Pailin to seek specialized care. After evaluation, doctors recommended surgery to relieve the pressure on the affected nerves.
Hem is scheduled to undergo laminectomy and decompression of the L4-L5 spine on August 17th. She has contributed $100 towards her treatment but needs an additional $1,400 in support to cover the cost of surgery and related care. The surgery aims to relieve pressure on the nerves and help reduce her back and leg symptoms, allowing her to walk more comfortably and return to farming and her normal daily activities.
Hem said, “I hope that this surgery will relieve my back and leg pain, improve the numbness and weakness in my left leg, and help me walk more comfortably again. I wish to return to farming, and continue my normal daily activities.”