When your child is in an accident, there’s often a countdown that begins from the moment of injury. Once the clock starts ticking, you only have so much time before it’s too late. Before they start dying.
For three-year-old Lyma, the countdown began when she fell into a kettle of boiling water, burning her entire upper body.
Lyma’s grandmother Tevy came running when she heard Lyma’s screams. Tevy called her parents, who, like many Cambodians, had moved to Phnom Penh to find work.
“I was at work when I got the devastating news about my daughter. My heart sank, and I was overwhelmed with shock and anxiety. My husband and I rushed to Pursat Province immediately, tears streaming down my face as I feared the worst for my little girl.”
Daline, Lyma’s mother
When she got the call about Lyma’s injury, her supervisor threatened to fire her if she left to go see her. To Daline, the choice was simple: she had to go see her daughter.
Arriving in Pursat, Daline and her husband stayed with Lyma at a nearby health centre. After two days of no improvement, they decided to make the five-hour journey to AHC.
By the time Lyma got here, her time was running out. A lack of proper care meant her burns got infected. She was dangerously dehydrated and had a high fever. She needed surgery, and she needed it badly. But they had to get her fever and infection under control first.
In our intensive care unit, the team gave Lyma medication for her fever and cleaned her wounds every two days. Our nutrition team provided food packages to help Lyma regain her strength for surgery.
“Seeing her pain broke my heart. I felt so helpless. But thanks to the incredible care and medication, her condition began to improve almost immediately at AHC. She started finding relief and began to feel more at ease.”
Daline, Lyma’s mother
After a few days, Lyma was finally ready for surgery. Our surgeons gave her a skin graft to replace the skin that had been burned off. Over 30% of Lyma’s skin had second degree burns that needed grafting.
“Lyma came to AHC just in time. If she’d continued on without proper treatment, she likely would’ve been killed by a severe infection or dehydration. I’m so glad we were able to save her life before her condition got any worse.”
Dr Prak Farrilend, AHC surgeon
Having beaten the clock, our surgeons continued monitoring Lyma for the next week. Seeing that her wounds were clean and healing well, Lyma went home a week later. Our surgeons and physiotherapists will continue following up with her to ensure she heals with no further complications.
“I’m relieved we came to AHC before it was too late. The doctors were incredible — they took time to explain everything and provided effective treatment that made a real difference. They didn’t let her suffer. There’s no place that can care for my daughter like AHC.”
Daline, Lyma’s mother