This young man is ten years old and has learned to live with this condition.

This young man had a congenital deformity known as pre-axial polydactyly, a condition in which he was born with two thumbs on each hand. It is actually not as uncommon as one would think. Here in the U.S. it is usually taken care of very early, even by the time the newborn goes home.  This young man is ten years old and has learned to live with this condition. In Cambodia, it does “take a village” to survive as most people are farmers and they survive together as a community. The young man and his family were slowly pushed aside by the community because they believed that the young man was cursed due to his extra thumbs. Being ostracized in Cambodia is a very serious issue. Without the communities support this young man and his family were in a very tight spot.

Dr. Ocel performed the operation to remove his extra thumbs. The surgery turned into quite the event. During surgery dozens of people gathered waiting to see the boy post-op. After the surgery the boy's family and the people who had gathered were overjoyed to see the boy with only ten fingers. The boy has gone on to become a well-known bike mechanic and a local celebrity for his physical transformation. The family is no longer on the “outside”, and is vital component of the interdependent community.