Reaksa is a 12-year-old student from Cambodia. She lives in Phnom Penh with her parents and brother. Her mother works in a clothing factory, and her father is a tuk-tuk tricycle driver. Reaksa is the oldest and is currently in sixth grade, while her brother is in kindergarten. In school, she enjoys mathematics class and dreams of becoming a police officer when she grows up. At home, she likes to eat egg-fried rice, read books, and do her homework.
For several months, Reaksa had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Reaksa experiences poor hearing and left ear pain, accompanied by ringing in the ear. The pain in her ear makes her feel very uncomfortable at school, often leading to her absence from class.
Reaksa traveled to our medical partner’s care center to receive treatment. On June 20th, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her left ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Reaksa’s family was able to contribute $75 towards her medical care but needs help raising the remaining $851 to fund the procedure.
Reaksa’s parents shared: “We hope Reaksa will no longer be in pain and her hearing will be normal in the future.”

