Piseth* is 16 years old and lives with her grandparents and younger brother in a remote village outside Neak Loeung. Both children have physical and intellectual disabilities and require significant assistance during daily activities, including basic hygiene, which is difficult for her ageing grandparents to manage. Piseth was born with a congenital hip condition, which severely restricts her mobility.
Her grandparents, the children’s primary caregivers since infancy, struggled to find explanations and remedies for their granddaughter’s condition throughout her childhood. Multiple surgeries and ineffective medication failed to improve Piseth’s condition, leaving her immobile and completely dependent on her grandparents for support. As a result, Piseth never attended school and was profoundly isolated from social interactions with her peers.
Piseth at her family home before beginning physiotherapy with Damnok Toek.
Despite this, Piseth has a playful demeanour and a bright smile that greets familiar faces and strangers with an innocent warmth, unexpected for a young girl who has experienced such hardship. Her positive outlook is partly due to monumental improvements in her mobility and lifestyle since receiving respite and physiotherapy services at Damnok Toek’s Day Care Centre.
In September 2022, Damnok Toek’s Disability Outreach Programme received notification about Piseth’s situation and, after conducting a home visit and examination, determined that Piseth and her family would benefit greatly from Damnok Toek’s services.
By October 2022, Piseth and her brother regularly came to the Day Care Centre, and their grandfather attended weekly peer support groups focused on care, hygiene, nutrition, cognitive development, and physiotherapy.
Piseth has grown confident and enjoys socialising at the Day Care Centre.
In September 2022, Damnok Toek’s Disability Outreach Programme received notification about Piseth’s situation and, after conducting a home visit and examination, determined that Piseth and her family would benefit greatly from Damnok Toek’s services. By October 2022, Piseth and her brother regularly came to the Day Care Centre, and their grandfather attended weekly peer support groups focused on care, hygiene, nutrition, cognitive development, and physiotherapy.
Throughout 2023, Piseth made significant progress. Her social interactions and hygiene improved, and she began participating in group activities. By mid-2023, she could independently use the bathroom, eat with a spoon, and dress herself. Piseth received an ear examination and treatment from All Ears Cambodia and mental health counselling from Damnok Toek staff.
Damnok Toek social workers demonstrate how to use mobility devices to Piseth and her grandfather.
Piseth continues to improve her mobility during physical rehabilitation at Damnok Toek’s Day Care Centre.
In March 2024, Piseth underwent hip surgery at the Children’s Surgical Center to aid her mobility. Working with Damnok Toek’s rehabilitative staff during her recovery, she is reaching major milestones, including standing independently and using a walker with minimal support.
Her increased mobility and socialisation have given Piseth and her family new hope for her future. She aspires to attend school and work to support her family. The continuous support and training from the Outreach Programme and the Day Care Centre have given Piseth and her family the tools and confidence to pursue these goals. In two years, Piseth has achieved more than she thought possible, and with the support of her family and Damnok Toek, she is determined to fulfil her potential.
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