News from Mok

Thanks to your help, mok is cured!

Now Mok can play, learn and ride without running out of breath.

Mariela, open-heart surgery in Madagascar

Mok spent the first 7 years of his life exhausting himself day after day. Suffering from a serious heart defect, this young Cambodian lived alone with his brother and mother in the province of Kapomg Speu. He was out of breath. 7 years of suffering is a long time; far too long for a little boy.

Through your exceptional mobilization, you made possible the open-heart surgery that saved his life. The operation was carried out in the capital, Phnom Penh, by a local medical team trained by us over several years. Today, he is back at school, where he learns new things every day, even if he is a little distracted. After class, he meets up with his friends to play in the park.

And as this photo shows, he loves cycling, which he can do without any breathing problems. Thank you for giving him a second chance.

06/23/2020 – At 7, Mok is exhausted

Mok lives alone with his brother and mother in the province of Kampong Speu, a few kilometers from Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Born with a severe heart defect, this 7-year-old boy needs open-heart surgery to survive.

In fact, Mok suffers from ventricular septal defect, which means that there is an abnormal passage of blood between the heart’s two atria.
The heart’s mission is to circulate blood throughout the body. To do this, the muscle is made up of two parts: the first receives oxygenated blood and propels it through the body; the second receives blood that has lost its oxygen and returns it to the lungs. Two very distinct roles.

In Mok, the wall separating these two parts is poorly formed. So everything mixes together, blood floods his lungs, Mok is exhausted and his growth is stunted.

Mariela, open-heart surgery in Madagascar

Open-heart surgery can cure him

Fortunately, the local team, trained for many years by the pediatric surgeons of La Chaîne de l’Espoir, now has all the skills and know-how to perform independent open-heart surgery on this young boy.

The delicate and complex operation is very costly: €4,800 plus additional expenses: accommodation in town, care before and after the operation, medication… A burden far too high for Mok’s mother, who is raising her two children alone and whose job as a rice seller in a factory earns her just €320/month. But with your support, we can save Mok and give her a second wind.

Together, let’s mobilize!