One Cambodian man has been subject to despair after his leg swelled up to the size of a pig after getting some infected mosquito bites almost twenty years ago. The man, Bong Thet now has to shuffle around his family home as he is barely able to walk.
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Good Samaritans have offered to pay for his treatment but doctors discovered that Thet had lymphatic filariasis, a disease caused by thread-like, parasitic worms.
As a kid, Thet dreamed of becoming a football player but sadly he had been effectively kick a ball since he was six years old.
Thet stated that his tumourdeveloped after he had attained some small wounds on his foot. However, his parents passed them off believing that the scratches were sustained while he was playing outside their home in Kampong Chhnang province.
A small lump had started to grow around his foot and by the time he was twelve the tumour had covered his whole leg. Unfortunately, his parents were factory workers and couldn’t afford his care and his condition was left to get worse year after year.
The child had to leave school early as walking long distances became hard work and the other children would constantly bully him. Thet, now 27, had dealt with his condition most of his life, until last month when Good Samaritans offered to pay for his treatment.
The charity afforded Thet his first visit to a hospital where doctors discovered his parasitic condition after running blood tests. The doctors concluded that Thet would have become infected after scratchingmosquito bites when he was younger, causing them to form a wound.
Lymphatic filariasis is one of the leading causes of disability in the world but unfortunately, there is no known cure. Bong was saddened to know that his condition was going to be with him permanently but he was grateful for the opportunity to see a medical professional. Thet stated:
This will make my life easier and knowing that there are people who care for me makes me feel happy. I am so grateful for them to helping. The money will pay for medicine and food. I will continue to take the medication given to me by the doctors which will make my life more comfortable.
