Yon is a 28-year-old woman from Cambodia who has five older sisters and one older brother. She works as a cleaner and enjoys reading books in her free time.
At age 13, Yon developed an ear infection in her left ear. Over time, this has caused ear pain, hearing loss, and daily ear discharge. She is unable to communicate with other people because of the ear pain.
Yon has also developed a cholesteatoma, an abnormal skin growth located behind the eardrum. It initially develops as a cyst after chronic ear infections or perforation of the eardrum. Over time, the cyst sheds layers of old skin that collect within the ear. Without treatment, a cholesteatoma can grow large enough to cause hearing loss, dizziness, or facial paralysis.
Yon traveled six hours by bus with her sister to reach Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC) for treatment. Ear, nose, and throat surgeons at CSC will perform a mastoidectomy, a surgical procedure in which the diseased cells in the hollow, air-filled spaces in the skull behind Yon’s ears are removed. The cells—known as mastoid air cells—are diseased as a result of Yon’s chronic ear infections that spread to the skull structures near her ears. Surgeons will also repair her perforated eardrums and remove the cholesteatomas that have grown behind them.
$842 pays for Yon’s mastoidectomy as well as two hearing tests, two nights in the hospital, lab tests, and medicine.
After surgery, Yon’s ear pain and discharge will stop. Let’s help make that happen!