Pascoe Vale Rotary arrange life-changing surgery

Theary before surgery.

Theary Pen Chan Sokun after her operation with mother Vaesna. (MATT MURPHY)

2 May 11
By Tessa Hoffman
Moreland Leader (Australia)

RESCUED from the streets of Cambodia with a birthmark obscuring her face, Theary Pen Chan Sokun has endured much hardship in her short life.

But things are looking up after the Pascoe Vale Rotary Club arranged to fly the five-year-old to Melbourne for life-changing surgery to remove the potentially cancerous birthmark.

The congenital hairy nevus covering Theary’s right cheek and nose was predicted to lead to eyesight problems and possible brain tumours. The mark also attracted stares and taunts and left her ostracised.

“The kid(s) didn’t like to play or study with her because they think she(‘s) ugly,” said her aunt Shuley Pen Chan, who travelled to Melbourne with Theary and her adoptive mother, Vaesna, for the surgery.

Her adoptive family found her abandoned as a baby at a Buddhist temple and could not find anyone to treat her in Phnom Penh. But last year’s chance meeting between the family and Pascoe Vale Rotary president Peter Toomey turned everything around.

Through Mr Toomey, Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children arranged for plastic surgeon Tony Holmes - who helped separate Bangladesh’s conjoined twins Trishna and Krishna - to perform the surgery at Mercy Private Hospital at no cost to the family.

The two-stage operation began in February when Dr Holmes sculpted Theary’s new nose and ear.

He inserted a skin expander (medical balloon) beneath the skin of her abdomen, which expanded over several weeks to create surplus skin for grafting.

Last month he removed the nevus and grafted on the skin.

Chief nursing director Janine Loader said Theary was one of Dr Holmes’ best patients.

“She’s a gorgeous little girl,” Ms Loader said.

Mr Toomey, whose club donated $20,000 for travel costs, also praised Theary for her resilience and positive attitude throughout the procedure. “She said, ‘Yes, I know it’s going to be painful, but it’s going to make me pretty’,” Mr Toomey said.

Shuley said the family will always be grateful for the help.

“She’s a lucky girl, it change(d) her life,” Shuley said. “Thank you is not enough, but there’s no other word.”