CRAIG GIMA / CGIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Sythan Leam, 14, suffered a severe burn on her left leg when she was 2 months old when an oil lamp tipped over onto her bedding. When the burn healed, her calf and thigh were fused together. Her father, Sarin Den, 43, and neighbors in her village of Anlong Thor in Kampong Thom province in Cambodia look on.
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Fundraiser aims to help girl in Cambodia
Shriners agrees to provide free medical care for a severely burned girl
The Cambodian community in Hawaii will celebrate the new year with a fundraiser tonight to help a 14-year-old girl walk for the first time.
Sythan Leam lives in Anglong Thor, a small village about 80 miles northwest of Phnom Penh in Kampong Thom province in Cambodia.
When she was 2 months old, she suffered severe burns on her left leg. There is no doctor or medical care in the village and, when her leg healed, her calf was fused to her thigh.
About two years ago, her case came to the attention of Western aid workers. Doctors determined her leg muscles work and that with surgery and physical therapy, Leam should be able to walk.
Shriners Hospital for Children in Hawaii has agreed to provide free medical care for Leam, according to Dr. Gunther Hintz, a Honolulu-based former plastic surgeon and the founder of the nonprofit group Medicorps, which provides Internet access, consultation and training for doctors in Cambodia.
The charity needs to raise $8,000 to $10,000 for airfare to bring Leam and for someone to accompany her to Hawaii, Hintz said.
When Leam arrives, local Cambodian families will take care of her until she is admitted to Shriners and while she is an outpatient.
Anthony Deth, who is organizing the event, said Cambodians, who are mostly Buddhist, believe in karma and that doing good for others comes back to the giver.
"Cambodian people here are generally giving, very supportive of each other," Deth said.
Tonight's event is both a fundraiser for Leam and an opportunity for the community to get together, Deth said, noting that there are about 150 Cambodian-Americans living in Hawaii.
This is not the first time Medicorps has brought a Cambodian teenager to Hawaii.
In 2000, Hintz brought Sok Ouey, then 13, to Hawaii in 2000. Ouey's legs were severely injured by a land mine explosion.
After three operations in Cambodia, 10 surgeries in Hawaii and physical therapy, Ouey returned to Cambodia in 2001. He is now a student and part-time worker at the Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap.
FUNDRAISER FACTS
What: New Year's Eve fundraiser for Sythan Leam
Where: The Paradise Restaurant on the South King Street side of Puck's Alley
When: 5 p.m.-1 a.m.
More info: Food and beverages provided for a donation to the nonprofit group Medicorps. Everyone welcome. The event will feature Cambodian music and dancing.
Donations to help Sythan Leam can also be sent to Medicorps, 758 Kapahulu Ave., #507, Honolulu, HI 96816.
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