Yean is a 74-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. She has four sons and one daughter. Her husband passed away four years ago due to hypertension, so her children live nearby and help her with housework. She enjoys talking with her neighbors and going to the local pagoda to take part in ceremonies.
Seven years ago, Yean developed a pterygium in right eye, causing her blurry vision, tearing, and pain. All these symptoms have worsened in the last six weeks. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside.
When Yean learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, she traveled for three-and-a-half hours by taxi seeking treatment. Yean needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $216. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for July 6th.
Yean shared, “I hope after this pterygium is gone, I will be feeling much better. I will stop tearing and rubbing my eye, and I will be able to walk around by myself and do my housework without help.”