Sovathana is a 10-year-old student from Cambodia. He is a fifth-grader and lives in Kampong Cham province with his parents and two sisters, ages 14 and 6. His mother stays at home to manage the household and look after the children, and his father works in construction. Sovathana enjoys learning math and playing with his friends at school. He wants to join the army when he grows up. At home, he likes playing with other children in his village, and eating curry soup with rice.
For the past two years, Sovathana has been experiencing difficulty swallowing and breathing. He also finds it hard to talk and read lessons at school as well as at home. His mother says he has been snoring while sleeping and not getting adequate rest. This condition causes him to miss school, and he is unable to keep up at school or with his friends. Sovathana was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time.
Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, is requesting $345 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Sovathana, which is scheduled to take place on July 18th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Sovathana of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably.
Sovathana’s mother shared: “After surgery, I hope that my son will be able to sleep comfortably and not miss so many days of school.”