When Ly Sokuntheary embarked on a hike in 2020, she had no idea that her life was about to change. But an accident left her with a medical condition that is threatening her mobility, future dreams and confidence. Now, she is making a heartfelt appeal for donations to fund an operation.

Theary describes being independent, adventurous and determined. In 2018, she graduated from the Royal University of Law and Economics with a degree in International Relations. Full of hopes and dreams, Theary pursued her passion for making a social impact through her volunteer work journey.

In her spare time, she enjoyed embarking on adventures. And it was on one fateful day in 2020, during a hike that she fell on a rock, but did not realize the critical consequences. Today, she is a shadow of her former self.

“When I got back home, I started to notice strange conditions and symptoms of backaches to leg pain. I just thought it was a normal symptom of the body,” Theary recalled with sorrow in her eyes.

Sotheary at her home (Kiripost/Siv Channa)

Sitting in the kitchen of the home she shares with her parents, in Chaktomuk district, Theary said by August 2021, the pain had escalated to the point where she could barely move her legs, making it difficult to walk. A CT scan revealed a lumbar disc herniation on her spine.

Theary described her health condition as a “living nightmare”. Fighting back the tears, she told Kiripost that she once enjoyed social activities and had dreams of continuing her education. However, all of her hopes have been shattered as her illness has broken her confidence and limited her capabilities and ambitions.

Instead of taking advantage of opportunities and pursuing her dreams like other 26-year-olds, Theary has turned them down out of fear that her disability will be a burden to others.

“At the beginning of this year, I decided to resign from my job and pushed away all offers because I was falling into a fragile state mentally and physically," Theary said. "I spent the first semester of this year alone dealing with the pain and getting myself treated while I was unemployed.”

During a consultation in September 2023, a doctor recommended immediate surgery. It was a tough decision for the young woman to make as the cost of the treatment exceeded her expectations and budget.

“The surgery demands $8,000, which does not cover other medical services. This sum of money, my family can’t afford alone,” she told Kiripost during an interview at her home on Monday.

Theary has also been told that delaying surgery could result in irreversible damage, possibly paralyzing her left leg. In addition, the pain has left her with no choice but to do whatever it takes to raise the funds for surgery, so she can once again enjoy a normal life.

To alleviate the family's financial burden, Theary decided to submit a proposal seeking support on KhmerCare, a crowdfunding platform, which was recommended by her close friends who had experienced it.

“When I decided to send my story to KhmerCare, I hoped to end the pain that I have been carrying for many years," Theary said, barely able to navigate the few stairs in her home.

Not holding high expectations, Theary did not expect to receive much of a response on KhmerCare. However, she was quickly overwhelmed by the support and generosity of the community. At the time of publication, her appeal had received more than $3,500 in donations.

“I was speechless with surprise. My hope appeared again. I think without the KhmerCare platform, I would not be able to afford my treatment and the burden of my medical expenses would fall on my family,” she said with a renewed wave of energy.

With hope once again restored, Theary said she is thankful to KhmerCare for giving her a platform to share her story and raise awareness about her symptoms. She also wants to use KhmerCare to remind people that it is important to take care of their health.

“I want to use KhmerCare to do more than just raise money. I want to use it to raise awareness about health issues and encourage people to get regular checkups. Sometimes a small mistake can have serious consequences for our health," she said.

Generous donations made through KhmerCare will not only help Theary to alleviate her financial burden, but they will also restore her hope and give her the opportunity to live a full life again.

To donate to Theary’s cause, visit HELP ME WALK AGAIN as the medical condition is threatens to take away my mobility and dreams

This week, the KhmerCare platform released a new Endorsement feature. This newly-launched tool enables fact-checking validation through a journalistic approach under a partnership between KhmerCare and Kiripost media outlet.

With this validation, any endorsed social cause campaigns on the KhmerCare platform by influential and renowned figures will garner boosted support from KhmerCare's parent company, Pathmazing.