My Story

Hello!

Pitu is 14 years old and in the 6^th grade. His favorite subjects are Khmer and English. He misses a lot of school due to his bleeds and is not progressing well with his education. His school is five kilometers from his home. His uncle gives him a ride to school on a motorcycle. When he has free time, he likes to play with toy cars.

Pitu has been diagnosed with moderate hemophilia A. He suffers frequent bleeds in his elbows and knees that are treated at the hospital with factor. Past bleeds have left him with a knee that does not work properly. He would benefit from physical therapy, but it is simply not available. The hospital is 50 kilometers from his home and it takes several hours to travel there by motorcycle! The great distance makes accessing quality health care difficult and poses a threat in the case of a severe bleeding emergency.

Pitu lives with his father, Sokvan, age 41; his mother, Sreytouch, age 39; and his three sisters—Dara, age 13, Channary, age 10 and Ty, age five. He is the only child with a bleeding disorder in his family. Both of his parents work in the garment industry. They earn approximately $220 per month to support the family.

His family owns a small home in the village of Kompongspur. It is made of concrete and wood and has running water, electricity and indoor toilet facilities. They do not have a refrigerator. Food is cooked in the home over a wood/charcoal fireplace. The family speaks their native language, Khmer.