Srun's Story

The Beta Thalassemia Major project first came into existence when VOICE met a Srun. He was very sick and his stomach was swollen like a basketball. After he received his urgent, life-saving blood transfusion, he looked at us for the first time with this big, joyous smile, like only Srun can do. Thalassemia is a genetic disorder that is quite common in Cambodia. A child with Thalassemia Major requires bi-monthly blood transfusions and iron-chelation medication – however, in Cambodia there is a major shortage of blood and iron-chelation medication is too expensive for most to afford. Left untreated, the life expectancy of a child with Thalassemia Major is between 5 and 15 years old. VOICE is working with the Cambodia Thalassemia Association to find practical solutions to assist families affected by Thalassemia in Cambodia - there are too many families for VOICE to assist on our own. VOICE provides direct assistance to the families that we can to ensure they get access to the life-saving treatment that they urgently need.