Watsi

Success! Chan Thou from Cambodia raised $1,025 to fund a hip replacement.

100%

$1,025 raised, $0 to go

$1,025

raised

to go

Fully funded

Chan Thou's treatment was fully funded on March 6, 2018.

Chan Thou's story
Chan Thou's update

Photo of Chan Thou post-operation

January 16, 2018

Chan Thou underwent a hip replacement.

Chan Thou is recovering well from surgery. She is doing light physiotherapy as his mobility continues to improve. She will continue to do physiotherapy at home, and looks forward to finally being able to sleep through the night pain-free.

Her son says, “I am so happy my mom isn’t in pain anymore.”

Chan Thou is recovering well from surgery. She is doing light physiotherapy as his mobility continues to improve. She will continue to do ph...

January 11, 2018

Chan Thou is a grandmother from Cambodia. She has two sons and two grandchildren. She works at a money exchange stall in the market.

She has been experiencing pain on her right hip for more than 12 years. The pain is so severe that she cannot walk on her own or sleep at night.

Fortunately, Chan Thou learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre. At CSC, surgeons can perform a total hip replacement to relieve Chan Thou of her pain and allow her to walk easily. Treatment is scheduled for January 11, and Chan Thou needs help raising $1,025 to pay for this procedure.

She says, “I hope I can take care of my family and walk again.”

Chan Thou is a grandmother from Cambodia. She has two sons and two grandchildren. She works at a money exchange stall in the market. She ...

Submitted by

Learn more

Chan Thou's case was submitted by Lindsay Bownik at Children's Surgical Centre in Cambodia.

Chan Thou's Timeline

January 11, 2018
PROFILE SUBMITTED
Chan Thou was submitted by Lindsay Bownik, Stakeholder Relations Officer at Children's Surgical Centre, our medical partner in Cambodia.
January 11, 2018
TREATMENT OCCURRED
Chan Thou received treatment at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.
January 12, 2018
PROFILE PUBLISHED
Chan Thou's profile was published to start raising funds.
January 16, 2018
TREATMENT UPDATE
Chan Thou's treatment was successful. Read the update.
March 06, 2018
FULLY FUNDED
Chan Thou's treatment was fully funded.

Share Chan Thou's story

Funded by 32 donors

Funded by 32 donors

Treatment

Hip Replacement

Cost Breakdown
Diagnosis
Procedure

On average, it costs $1,025 for Chan Thou's treatment

Hospital Fees

$160

Medical Staff

$517

Medication

Supplies

$340

Labs

Radiology

Symptoms
Impact on patient's life
Cultural or regional significance

What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

Patients typically experience severe hip pain and difficulty walking or standing. By the time Children's Surgical Centre provides treatment, patients have often lived with these symptoms for months or more. A total hip replacement (THR) treats hips that are severely damaged and therefore not amenable to other forms of treatment.

What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

Patients may not be able to walk or walk normally. Physical activity is extremely restricted, making any movement painful. This prevents patients from carrying out daily life, going to work, attending school, or taking care of themselves and their families.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

Many Cambodians use motorbikes as their main form of transportation. Because of weak traffic laws, motorbike accidents are common. Injured individuals who cannot afford treatment often self-medicate or rely on Khmer traditional healers. Their fractures never heal, and patients live with the pain. Steroids are a common painkiller in Cambodia. No prescription is required. Individuals who do intense physical labor take steroids regularly, which restricts blood flow to the joints. This causes bone tissue death and tiny bone breaks, making bones more susceptible to breaks and fractures.

Process
Impact on patient's life
Risks and side-effects
Accessibility
Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

During a hip replacement, doctors replace both the acetabulum (hipbone socket) and femoral head (head of the femur) with prosthetic implants. Doctors remove the dead or broken bone. A cup is inserted into the acetabulum, and a metal hip prosthesis is inserted into the femur.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

The patient will be able to walk independently without pain, improving quality of life.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Severe disability, arthritis, and avascular necrosis of the hip can be successfully treated by a THR. This treatment is highly effective, with few risks.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

Most Cambodians visit Khmer traditional healers before seeking modern medical care. As recently as ten years ago, a THR was unavailable in Cambodia. Children's Surgical Centre is one of the few centers that provides this procedure.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

Younger patients can elect to undergo hip fusion surgery and postpone the THR until later in life. The duration of the prosthesis is 10-15 years.

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100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Gift is 6-month-old baby from Kenya. We met Gift at Watsi's Partner Care Center with her mother Silvia. She was sleepy and looked tired after traveling for over 6 hours from their home just to get a doctor's check-up. She is youngest in their family of two kids. Her mother is a housewife, while her father is a farmer and a casual laborer in construction sites. Gift has clubfoot of both feet. She has been on casting since birth and tenotomy was done when she was two months old however the deformity has never corrected. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes as she grows up. Fortunately, Gift traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on May 11th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,224 to fund Gift's clubfoot repair. After treatment, the bones will realign so that her feet can face in the right direction and she will be able to put on shoes and walk uprightly when she is older. “My joy would be to see my daughter walking well like other children and I would request you to help my daughter undergo surgery,” Gift’s mother told us.

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Mek is a 73-year-old mother-of-three from Cambodia. She has three daughters and three grandchildren, and works at the rice farm during the day to provide for her family. One year ago, Mek developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her blurry vision, tearing, and photophobia. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Mek learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours by local taxi seeking treatment. On March 5th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. "I hope that I will be able to see clearly again and I can help my daughter with the housework," Mek shared.

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Lors is a 26-year-old rubber plantation worker from Cambodia. He has two daughters and enjoys playing soccer, listening to music, and helping around the house when he is not working. In July 2019, Lors was in a motorcycle accident and collided with a truck, injuring his left arm. He has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. He experiences pain and has lost sensation in his shoulder and is unable to move his arm. Lors traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On December 11th, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, he will be able to regain sensation and move his arm again. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $637 to fund this procedure. "I hope that my hand will be back to full function just like before, and then I can return to work again," Lors shared.

45% funded

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