Synopsis
Ten-year-old Thy Kamsot is undergoing multiple surgeries and will face a long recovery after being hit by shrapnel from Thai shelling. As doctors at Jayavarman VII Hospital work to save him, they and his family fear for the well-being of other children should cross-border fighting resume.
Full Text
After a harrowing journey to the hospital, 10-year-old Thy Kamsot is in the fight of his life. He was critically injured by shrapnel from Thai shelling while hiding in a trench with his mother on July 24. His father, a soldier, was fighting the incursion at the time.
By the time he was brought to Jayavarman VII Hospital in Siem Reap, Kamsot was unconscious from blood loss and shock, with a severe wound to his left hip. Dr. Keo Sokha, the head of surgery, and his team immediately began working to save him.
Kamsot has already undergone three operations to realign a serious bone fracture and clean damaged tissue. He is scheduled for at least one more surgery, but the road to recovery will be long and difficult. Dr. Sokha said Kamsot will need months of physical rehabilitation before he can walk normally again.
The boy’s mother, Rin Phalla, has made a heartfelt plea for the fighting to stop, saying children are innocent and don’t deserve to suffer. Hospital leaders, including Director Dr. Yay Chanthana, have also expressed grave concern over the safety of Cambodian children if the cross-border aggression were to continue.
Since the fighting began, the hospital has treated dozens of displaced families from the affected areas. Kamsot recently received a visit from First Lady Pich Chanmony, who expressed her sympathy and concern for his well-being.
