Kosal was just four months old when he got very sick. He couldn’t eat without vomiting and rapidly lost weight. Without food to nourish him, Kosal became weak and started fainting. Terrified, new mother Leaphy took him to a local hospital in Kampong Cham Province.
Kosal had an intestinal infection called gastroenteritis. Within two weeks, he still wasn’t eating, and his condition became critical. The doctors referred him to AHC to get the intensive care he needed.
“I felt so hopeless as his condition got worse. I prepared myself for the worst — I didn’t think he’d make it.”
Leaphy, Kosal’s mother
Kosal now had a perforated bowel — a life-threatening medical emergency. At AHC, our surgeons rushed him into surgery to repair the hole.
Kosal’s condition remained dire as several more complications followed in the coming weeks. Kosal and Leaphy stayed at AHC for the next three months while our staff worked tirelessly to help him.
“I was so worried about my son. He spent three months in intensive care and got surgery three times. But I saw how hard AHC’s medical staff worked to save him, and it kept me going.”
Leaphy, Kosal’s mother
Kosal’s health struggles left him anaemic, dehydrated, lactose intolerant and severely malnourished. Our nutrition team developed a strict nutrition plan to help him regain strength during treatment.
After three months of intensive nutrition support, a bowel repair, a colostomy and colostomy reversal, Kosal finally got better. He gained weight and started breastfeeding again. He could finally go home.
Our nutrition team kept following up with him every two weeks to ensure he continued getting the nutrients he needs. Today, Kosal is growing into a strong and healthy boy.
“I’m so thankful for AHC’s staff who never gave up on my son. They tried to help him with everything they had. They never left him, never stopped looking for solutions. Without AHC, I don’t think my son could’ve survived this.”
Leaphy, Kosal’s mother
