A tiny mosquito bite more than 20 years ago has left a young man’s leg swollen to an abnormal size, resembling that of an elephant’s. Now, he can no longer walk normally and experiences excruciating pain.

Bong Thet, 27, is forced to hobble around with his painfully swollen leg in his home in Kampong Chhnang province, Cambodia.

When Thet was just 6 years old, he was bitten by a mosquito. Initially dismissed as a regular bug bite, it turned out that the mosquito carried the larvae of the bancroftian filariasis worm, causing Thet’s left leg to swell to the size of a pig and remain that way to this day.

Thet’s leg is now beyond treatment, and the dream of becoming a soccer player for this resilient young man remains unfulfilled.

Recalling the onset of his swollen leg due to the mosquito bite, Thet’s parents initially brushed it off, thinking it was a minor injury caused by childhood playfulness.

By the time Thet turned 12, his leg had ballooned to five times the size of a normal human leg and rendered him unable to walk.

Thet’s parents, who are very poor, could not afford the cost of treatment for him. He had to drop out of school because he couldn’t walk to school and was teased by his friends.

After hearing Thet’s story, a kind-hearted businesswoman named Dana Try stepped in and contributed nearly $2,500 to help him receive medical treatment.

Doctors have stated that Thet’s leg is heavily infected with bancroftian filariasis and cannot be cured. Thet expressed deep disappointment but immense gratitude to those who have helped him. This is the first time he has received compassionate medical care.

“My life has improved somewhat now thanks to the help of everyone. I am very happy and grateful to those who have donated medicine and food for me. I will continue to take the medication prescribed by the doctor. Who knows, a miracle might happen,”