Srey Nath is a bright young student who loves to read books and wants to be a teacher when she grows up. She has two older brothers and lives with her parents who are rainy day rice farmers. They also grow vegetables and keep cows and chickens to feed their family and make extra money at the local market.
Over the past several years, Srey Nath’s back has curved which limits her movement and lung expansion. She has trouble standing up straight or walking, and is easily winded when she is active due to difficulty expanding her lungs. She shared that she feels embarrassed with her friends and very shy about how her back looks. She loves school but doesn’t want to attend now because of the abnormal curvature of her spine, and the chronic pain it causes.
Srey Nath’s neighbors told her family to visit our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre for a diagnosis and treatment. Surgeons have diagnosed her with scoliosis of the thoracic spine. She needs expanding rods in her back to straighten her spine as she grows to avoid any further medical problems. Srey Nath and her parents traveled two and a half hours to seek treatment and need help raising $1,500 for this specialty surgery.
Srey Nath’s mother said: “My daughter needs this surgery to grow normally and become a teacher. I hope we can raise the money so she can fulfill her dream someday.”
