Cambodian Veteran Lives the American Dream
Chhon Chea joined the Cambodian army at the young age of 17, where he served for four years. During the Cambodian civil war he stepped on a land mine, sustaining injuries that led to the amputation of his leg; thereafter he was bounced around several refugee camps. It was at one of these refugee camps where Mr. Chea received his first prosthesis and began participating in sports such as volleyball, basketball and soccer. Once Cambodia became a democracy in 1992, Mr. Chea was allowed to return home where he began working with other handicapped patients in need of assistance.
In 2003 Mr. Chea and his family immigrated to the United States, seeking permanent residence. He was in desperate need of a new limb, but after extensive research he realized the expensive cost of prosthesis. After getting his green card, desperate for a limb that would enable him to continue his active lifestyle, Mr. Chea sought assistance through the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services through the state of Texas, his only hope for receiving prosthesis, and was approved.
The Amputee and Prosthesis Center built Mr. Chea's prosthesis, allowing him to live his life to the fullest. "It has been a dream come true," said Mr. Chea. "I'm now able to do so many things with the leg that the Amputee and Prosthetic Center provided me." He now works full time at a local bakery.
