Ta Doungchom

I was living in a village called Ka Oy, in the Nakai district, in southern Laos. I was a farmer. One day, I was 28 years old at the time, I went out with my two sons to look for food and found a strange object. It looked green. I didn't know what it was exactly. I didn't know it was a bomblet. I took up a stick - I wanted to touch it, to see what it was - and it detonated immediately. My children ran back to the village to get help.

After I don't know how long, my family arrived. They put me on a boat and then on a tractor to take me to the Nakai district hospital, where I arrived at midnight. I think I was injured at 6 in the morning. The hospital did not have the capacity to treat me. I did not receive any first aid, but I do remember they put a needle in my arm and injected something, maybe painkillers. My family had to rent a car to drive me to the provincial hospital in Kammouan. I received treatment only after three or four days. Doctors were not around, I think because it was the Laotian New Year (April).

Finally they amputated both my arms. My left arm had to have two operations, as it got infected. I lost my right eye, and although my left eye was still there, I could not use it. I was badly injured in my chest and neck. I spent one and a half months at the hospital. My family had to sell three buffalos, two pigs, two cows and use all their life savings (about 60 USD) to pay for my medical care.

They couldn't afford to continue paying for me anymore at that hospital so they transferred me to the Nakai district hospital. The cost of living is lower there and it was easier for my family to visit me. Still, my family had to borrow money from the village. They borrowed about 235 USD. I spent another month and a half at that hospital and then went back home. At that time I already had five children, and my wife was pregnant. I couldn't do much to support my family. I couldn't do anything. Before, I had taken care of them. I cried a lot. We had huge debts. It took us a long time to pay back the debts.

I don't remember when, but one day I went to the hospital in Savannaketh where doctor treated my left eye. I now can see from my left eye. One day I met a man called Jim. Jim works in demining and he drove me to the capital, where I got prostheses for both my arms. My village was relocated and I got a better house and some support, free rice for all my family. I think that was at the end of 2006. That was a lucky year.