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Success! MengHuor from Cambodia raised $926 to fund a mastoidectomy.

MengHuor
100%
  • $926 raised, $0 to go
$926
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
MengHuor's treatment was fully funded on December 28, 2022.

Photo of MengHuor post-operation

January 7, 2023

MengHuor underwent a successful mastoidectomy.

MenHuor’s mother was concerned the treatment would not work, as she had tried many remedies for her son, but fortunately, he had successful surgery to finally remove the cholesteatoma. Surgeons expect a full recovery with improved hearing within three months. This surgery will help him communicate at school, and with his family and friends, as he is happy that he’ll no longer feel embarrassed by his hearing.

MenHour’s parents said: “We believe that MenHuor will get better from here. He is very happy he has a chance to have better hearing, and we are grateful to the people who helped us have this operation.”

MenHuor's mother was concerned the treatment would not work, as she had tried many remedies for her son, but fortunately, he had successful ...

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December 18, 2022

Meng Huor is a 12-year-old student in grade seven, living in Kampong Cham province with his parents and four siblings. His father is a farmer, while his mother sells groceries from their home to other villagers. When Meng Huor isn’t studying, he likes to read books and to exercise.

About one year ago, Meng Huor had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in Meng Huor’s middle ear behind the ear drum. As a result, Meng Huor experiences tinnitus, hearing loss, headaches, and frequent foul-smelling ear discharge. His mother purchased medicine from a local pharmacy, but it has not helped. Meng Huor finds it increasingly difficult to communicate with family and friends due to his progressive hearing loss, which also has him struggling to keep up in school.

Meng Huor’s family traveled to seek help from our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre. Now he is scheduled to undergo a mastoidectomy on December 19th, at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, during which surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Children’s Surgical Centre is requesting $926 to cover the costs of this procedure, and all of the necessary medications, supplies and Meng Huor’s stay in the hospital.

Meng Huor’s father said: “After surgery, I hope my son’s hearing improves so he can talk well with others.”

Meng Huor is a 12-year-old student in grade seven, living in Kampong Cham province with his parents and four siblings. His father is a farm...

Read more

MengHuor's Timeline

  • December 18, 2022
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    MengHuor was submitted by Romanea Khun, Assistant Manager, CSC at Children's Surgical Centre.

  • December 19, 2022
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    MengHuor received treatment at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre in Cambodia. 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.

  • December 21, 2022
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    MengHuor's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • December 28, 2022
    FULLY FUNDED

    MengHuor's treatment was fully funded.

  • January 7, 2023
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    MengHuor's treatment was successful. Read the update.

Funded by 7 donors

Funded by 7 donors

Treatment
Mastoidectomy
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $926 for MengHuor's treatment
Hospital Fees
$130
Medical Staff
$681
Medication
$0
Supplies
$86
Labs
$24
Radiology
$5
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

​What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

A mastoidectomy is a surgical procedure that removes diseased mastoid air cells. A patient who needs a mastoidectomy will experience hearing loss, chronic ear infections, and possibly cholesteatoma—an abnormal skin growth in the middle ear. Cholesteatomas cause hearing loss and ear discharge. The cholesteatoma will erode bones in the middle ear and can eventually expose the brain and cause death in complicated, untreated cases.

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

Patients live with hearing loss and chronic ear infections.

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

Treated incorrectly or left untreated, an infected mastoid bone can cause hearing loss, persistent ear discharge, meningitis, temporary dizziness, and temporary loss of taste. Due to poor hygiene and limited education in rural Cambodia, patients are likely to experience complications and receive the incorrect treatment.

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

What does the treatment process look like?

A mastoidectomy is performed with the patient asleep under general anesthesia. Surgeons will perform one of several different types of mastoidectomy, depending on the amount of infection present. These include: • Simple (or closed) mastoidectomy: The operation is performed through the ear or through an incision behind the ear. The surgeon opens the mastoid bone and removes the infected air cells. The eardrum is incised to drain the middle ear. Topical antibiotics are placed in the ear. • Radical mastoidectomy: This procedure removes the most bone and is usually performed for extensive spread of a cholesteatoma. The eardrum and middle ear structures may be completely removed. Usually the stapes, the "stirrup"-shaped bone, is spared to preserve some hearing. • Modified radical mastoidectomy: In this procedure, some middle ear bones are left in place, and the eardrum is rebuilt by tympanoplasty. After surgery, the wound is stitched up around a drainage tube, and a dressing is applied.

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

This treatment will relieve chronic ear infections, hearing loss, and other symptoms caused by the infected mastoid bone.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

This treatment is highly effective, but it poses risks if performed by an inexperienced surgeon. The operation is near the facial nerve and the brain, so surgeons must be careful when operating. At Children's Surgical Centre, ENT surgeons only operate on cases about which they feel confident.

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

Care for this condition is not easily accessible in Phnom Penh. Only one other hospital performs ENT surgery, but care at that hospital is expensive. The ENT surgeons at our medical partner have a proven record of successful cases.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

Once the infection stops responding to antibiotics, surgery is the only option.

Meet another patient you can support

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Daniel

Daniel is a 10-year-old student from Ethiopia. He is in second grade and loves school. His favorite subject is English. He also loves playing football and games with friends, eating fruits and eggs with injera. He is the fifth child in the family with four older brothers. Both parents are daily laborers on a farm and get income by sharing the profit during harvest with the landowner. They use the income to feed the family and also sell some of the produce to buy other goods for the house. During the rainy season, they engage in other labor work such as chopping wood, gardening and delivery of different goods. Even though their family income is sufficient to support the basic needs of their family, it is a challenge to afford Daniel's surgery. Daniel was born with hypospadias, a congenital disease that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms. Earlier he had two surgeries with Bethany Kids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre (BKMCM). For the third surgery, he had to wait for four years. The wait made him drop out of school and has affected his mental wellbeing. Fortunately, Daniel is now scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on February 28th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Daniel's dad said “I will be happy if my son completely heals and becomes free from shame. I am eager to send him back to school.”

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Raymond

Raymond is a 2-year-old toddler from Kenya and the only child in his family. A few months back, his mother lost her job at a clothing store because she must be at the hospital most of the time attending to her son. She works more flexible jobs like washing clothes for people in her neighborhood to help provide for the family. Raymond has been in and out of the hospital since birth. He was diagnosed with Hirschsprung's disease, a condition where the ganglion cells in the colon responsible for pushing food through are inactive or dead. He has undergone a series of surgeries through the family's health insurance fund. After a long journey, Raymond has one procedure left, but their insurance coverage has been exhausted, and they request financial assistance for his final procedure. Raymond underwent a colostomy, a procedure in which the end of the colon was brought through an opening in the abdominal wall. Raymond's colostomy requires closure in order to restore his bowel function and prevent future complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,084 to cover the cost of his colostomy closure. The surgery is scheduled to take place on March 14th and, once completed, will allow Raymond to live more comfortably and confidently moving forward. Raymond's mother said: "We have come a long way with his treatment, and I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. I really hope that it will go as planned."

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Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Daniel

Daniel is a 10-year-old student from Ethiopia. He is in second grade and loves school. His favorite subject is English. He also loves playing football and games with friends, eating fruits and eggs with injera. He is the fifth child in the family with four older brothers. Both parents are daily laborers on a farm and get income by sharing the profit during harvest with the landowner. They use the income to feed the family and also sell some of the produce to buy other goods for the house. During the rainy season, they engage in other labor work such as chopping wood, gardening and delivery of different goods. Even though their family income is sufficient to support the basic needs of their family, it is a challenge to afford Daniel's surgery. Daniel was born with hypospadias, a congenital disease that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms. Earlier he had two surgeries with Bethany Kids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre (BKMCM). For the third surgery, he had to wait for four years. The wait made him drop out of school and has affected his mental wellbeing. Fortunately, Daniel is now scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on February 28th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Daniel's dad said “I will be happy if my son completely heals and becomes free from shame. I am eager to send him back to school.”

24% funded

24%funded
$312raised
$981to go