La comes from a family of rice farmers in Kampong Thom province in rural Cambodia. He is married to a primary school teacher, and they have a 10-year-old daughter who is in the 3rd grade. In his downtime, he likes to spend time with his daughter and help his wife around the house.
In September, while he was cutting back small trees and branches on his land, La accidentally dropped the hand tool he was using on his right ankle. His wife rushed him to a local clinic, where they were able to stop the bleeding and close his wound.
Six weeks later, La stil has difficulty walking and his ankle is swollen and painful. Due to this injury, he is not currently tending his fields. He and his wife are worried that they might lose their land.
On October 20th La will undergo a tendon repair procedure at our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Center. The procedure, which will cost $572 involves making a small incision in the area above the tendon and using specialized surgical tools to remove any damaged tissue. La will need physical therapy after surgery, which will help him regain strength and range of motion and allow him to walk again.
La says, “I hope after my operation I will be able to walk with no difficulty and no pain or swelling so I can grow my crops to feed my family.”
