August 4, 2022
Mean is a beautiful five-year-old boy from Cambodia who has one sister and three brothers. He enjoys watching cartoons at home and playing with his four siblings. To support their family, his father is a construction worker, and his mother manages their home and cares for the children.
Last August, Mean was badly burned across most of his body in a petroleum accident. Although his parents took him to a specialty children’s hospital to receive care, he eventually developed severe burn contractures. Contractures occur when the skin surrounding a scar matures, thickens, and tightens, preventing movement. He is no longer able to stand straight due to a contracture of his right hip. He has burn contractures on his forearm, right elbow, and both armpits. He also has keloid scars, or enlarged and raised scarring, on both ears. He currently experiences itching all over his body and difficulty sleeping.
When Mean’s family learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On August 4th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to release the painful contractures. This will allow him to stand and walk straight, as well as grow at a healthy rate. Now, his family needs help funding this $495 procedure.
Mean’s mother says, “I hope the doctors can help Mean so he will not be in pain or ashamed when he is ready to go to school.”
Mean is a beautiful five-year-old boy from Cambodia who has one sister and three brothers. He enjoys watching cartoons at home and playing w...
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September 27, 2022
Mean underwent burn contracture release surgery so he can stand and walk more easily.
Mean was very timid and anxious to have surgery which would help decrease his pain. These corrective surgeries will alleviate many potentially serious health issues and will allow Mean to have more of a full life and join in for school when he is older.
He had his first round of surgery where contractures were released and the damaged skin was replaced with skin grafts. Doctors are watching him closely to make sure the skin grafts are successful, if so, he will have more surgery on his elbow and mouth to continue the process.
Mean and his mother were given physiotherapy exercises to perform once the incisions heal. The recovery will be long, so he will stay at CSC until surgeons are sure he has no complications, and then he will return to his province. Our medical partner shared that without this care, he might have been hidden away from society and his chances of education and participation in daily life in his community would be slim. His parents are hopeful he will recover and be able to attend school.
Mean’s mother said, “I am thankful to the people who funded his surgery so my son has a chance at a normal life, and hope that they continue to help Cambodians who need help.”
Mean was very timid and anxious to have surgery which would help decrease his pain. These corrective surgeries will alleviate many potential...
Read more