Neak is an 8-year-old third grade student from Cambodia. Neak lives with his parents with one older sister. Recently, Neak has been studying online while schools are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. He enjoys Khmer literature and math, and wants to be a solider when he grows up. Neak likes to eat beef hot dogs, salty and sour crab salad, and chicken soup.
One month ago, Neak had a serious ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Neak experiences hearing loss, foul smell, and ear discharge. It is difficult for him to hear his friends speaking.
Neak traveled to our medical partner’s care center to receive treatment. On May 13th, he will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in his left ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, is requesting $925 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care.
His father said, “We already brought him for treatment at an ear care organization in another province, but he still cannot hear out of his ear. I hope that my son will get to hear better after this surgery, then he can learn in school very well.”