Saray is a 16-year-old construction worker from Cambodia. His parents are rice farmers, and he has an older brother and an older sister. When he is not working, he enjoys playing football, volleyball and games on his phone. He also likes to sing with his friends.
Four months ago, while playing football, Saray fell on his shoulder and a mass appeared and grew quickly. A biopsy revealed that he has osteosarcoma of the shoulder, a rare type of bone cancer in which cancerous cells produce irregular bone. Although osteosarcoma is rare, it is the most common childhood bone cancer. He cannot move his shoulder and experiences persistent bone pain. Fortunately, a CT scan revealed that cancer has not yet spread. This diagnosis is very difficult for a young man with his whole life ahead of him.
When Saray’s parents learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled there to see a specialist. On December 8th, surgeons at CSC will perform a shoulder disarticulation procedure, during which they will separate his entire arm from the shoulder joint. This procedure will remove the mass, avoid metastasis, and allow Saray to seek further treatment. Now, he and his family need help raising $446 to fund his procedure and care.
Saray shared that he hopes that cancer will not reappear after the mass is gone, and he can be without pain.