Phannit is a ten-year-old girl who lives with her parents, her twin sister, an older sister, and grandparents in Kampong Thom Province. Her mother is a factory worker, and her father is a waste collector. Her grandparents are rice farmers. Phannit is currently in the 4th grade. Her favorite subjects are Khmer and English, and she wants to become a teacher when she grows up. At home, she likes to eat garlic fried with rice, and she enjoys reading her school books.
Phannit was born with Fallot’s Tetralogy, a congenital condition where the heart did not develop properly in the womb. In addition, she has a nasal deformity, leading to an abnormal nose shape. These conditions significantly affect her daily life, causing difficulty in breathing and disrupting her ability to sleep soundly through the night.
Phannit and her family were referred by friends from their village and traveled nearly four hours to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), for nasal reconstruction. Since November 2023, she has been undergoing monthly insertion of a forehead expander. This process has continued for six months, after which she will be ready to undergo nose surgery using a forehead flap to improve her condition. This procedure will help her breathe more easily. Pannit’s family is able to contribute $75 but needs help to raise $258 more to fund the procedure and post-op care.
Phannit said, “I want to feel more comfortable going to school and sleeping through the night.”
