Kanika is a thirteen-year-old girl from Cambodia. She lives with her mother and younger brother in Pursat Province, near the border with Thailand. Kanika’s mother sells groceries at home, and her father works at a factory in Korea to support the family. Kanika is currently in seventh grade and enjoys her geography class. She has shared that she wants to work in Korea like her father when she is older. At home, Kanika’s favorite meal is fried fish with rice, and she likes doing her homework and helping take care of her younger brother.
Kanika has been diagnosed with both Marfan syndrome and scoliosis, which are complex conditions leading to pronounced spinal deformities. These conditions affect her physical appearance, making her fingers and toes long and slender and causing a sunken chest. Marfan syndrome also impacts her heart function. Her scoliosis results in severe double curves in the thoracic and lumbar regions. These conditions make her feel uncomfortable at school, and in social situations, impacting her daily life.
Kanika and her mother were referred by a public hospital in Phnom Penh to our medical center, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), for spine treatment. On September 4th, specialized spinal surgeons will perform a fusion surgery to stabilize and correct Kanika’s severe spinal curvature. The surgeons will use implants and bone grafts to join the vertebrae together. Kanika’s mother can only afford $100 toward her daughter’s care and needs your help to raise the remaining $1,400 for the surgery, hospitalization, implants, post-operative medication, and physiotherapy. This procedure will help relieve Kanika’s discomfort, improve posture, and prevent future complications.
Kanika’s mother shared, “I hope that my daughter will be able to live comfortably and continue her schooling.”