I just came across this story in one of Korsang’s grant requests. (Korsang is the organization I moved to Cambodia to work for.) It really captures the heart and spirit of Korang.
As many know, one of Korsang’s long time peer educators, Sok Mop, was HIV+ and needed a kidney transplant. I am sorry to say he passed away (Dec. 15th 2008), he was 25 years old.
Sok Mop worked at Korsang for 3 years, from the age of 22, before he became too sick to work, although he remained on payroll….. Last year he went into kidney failure and Korsang raised funding, through very good friends, for 9 months to keep him on dialysis and keep him alive. Our doctor, Vannda, our medical team and Dr. Graham Macdonald, a consulting kidney expert in Australia worked tirelessly to treat the constant complications that arose.
Sok Mop was an excellent peer educator, often disclosing his HIV status in order to teach others, something almost unheard of in Cambodia. Even after he was too sick to work, he continued to live at Korsang and to be a huge part of our team. Sok Mop stopped using drugs shortly after he began work at Korsang and AusAID/HAARP was to feature him as a success story in an upcoming article on their website.
He was very special to Korsang staff and a favorite of many. In November 2008 Korsang staff went to an island off the Cambodian coast for staff retreat and insisted Sok Mop come along. The night before we left, staff sat with him in a hospital room through his dialysis, past 1am so he wouldn’t get sick on the trip, as it was a deserted and remote island. Against some better judgment, we brought Sok Mop with us. It was his first time on an island and he enjoyed it right beside all of us. The boat ride home was very rough due to terrifying weather conditions (we all thought death was imminent for the entire staff) Sok Mop took the 3 hour traumatic venture like the brave warrior he was. My favorite Sok Mop story, was one day last October, a drug user stole our heating pot and ran out of the compound. Sok Mop, as sick and weak as he was, jumped on a bike chasing him through the streets of Phnom Penh. He never caught him, but it was the thought that counted!
Sok Mop finally lost his battle with HIV. For his cremation service staff took up a collection for a traditional Buddhist ceremony with fruit, incense, flowers and Monk’s chanting. Staff also went out into the province to find his elderly mother so she could attend. Somehow they managed to locate her in village hut in Kandal. She was able to say goodbye to her son and then spent the night at Kamp Korsang before getting his ashes and returning to her village this morning. Sok Mop’s last paycheck for December went to his mom, more money than she has probably ever seen.
Sok Mop had two wishes regarding his death,
1) We wouldn’t let him suffer in pain, and
2) He could die at Korsang.
He got them both.
Sok Mop was one of the real hero’s of Harm Reduction
- Written by Holly Bradford
Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your post seem to be running off the screen in Internet explorer. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The design look great though! Hope you get the issue resolved soon. Cheers