Damon Stone

About the video you are seeing This video is difficult to watch, and it was difficult to record. I made the decision to film my wife without asking her permission. I want to be clear and honest about that choice. The reason is simple: My wife is severely mentally unwell, and it has become almost impossible to explain the reality of her condition to others — including her own family. When I try to describe it in words, people don’t fully understand. When I ask her to explain or participate, she cannot. So I filmed her quietly, in her own environment, during a moment when we were together. I filmed her speaking to herself, as she does for much of each day. This was not done to expose or shame her. It was done to document the seriousness of her illness, both for myself and so others could truly see what I have been trying to explain. Near the end of the video, I turn the camera toward myself. What you are seeing there is me crying. While she is speaking to herself, I am lying beside her, holding her hand, trying to comfort her — and silently breaking down. I am wiping tears from my eyes because I am watching the woman I love disappear into an illness I cannot stop on my own. The video ends shortly after because I could not continue recording. I am sharing this not for sympathy, but for clarity. This is the reality of her life. This is the reality of loving someone who is this unwell. And this is why I am asking for help. My name is Damon. I am fundraising to help my wife, Sreymom, who lives in Cambodia and is suffering from severe, untreated mental illness. We were married in a traditional Khmer ceremony and were deeply happy together. Before she became unwell, she was kind, gentle, and full of life. She used to sing to me — simple songs about our love and our life together. Those moments mattered because they showed who she truly is beneath the illness. Several years ago, while we were trying to bring her to Australia so we could live together as a family, she was overwhelmed by the visa process. She has very little formal education and struggled to understand the many documents, medical tests, court visits, and interviews required. During what should have been the final embassy interview, she became physically sick with fear and could not go inside. From that point on, her mental health deteriorated and she has never recovered. Today, she lives in extreme poverty and unsafe conditions. She speaks to herself throughout the day, writes repetitive thoughts on the walls, and becomes easily distressed. Her illness is not understood in her village, and there is no access to proper mental health care. Her living conditions are deeply concerning. She has: no working toilet no running water a leaking roof broken and unsafe floorboards upstairs no functional refrigerator no basic sanitation She bathes and uses the toilet in the same area, washing the ground with a bucket of water. This situation is undignified and unsafe, especially for someone with severe mental illness. The video at the top of this page shows my wife as she is now. I am beside her, trying to comfort her, but her illness often makes connection difficult. I am sharing this not to shock, but to be honest about her reality. I recently travelled to Cambodia to document her situation because she is not capable of explaining it herself. The photos included show the condition of her home and the environment she lives in every day. I am asking for help to restore basic dignity and safety for my wife. About the photos included: The images show the reality of my wife’s living conditions. One photo shows the upstairs floorboards, which are broken and unsafe due to ongoing water damage, making the space unusable. Another shows the small area that serves as both a shower and toilet, where she also stores recycling because it cannot be left outside. One photo shows the open sewer where dishes are washed. Another shows the street she lives on, to give context to the environment. The final photo shows the notebooks she uses to try to keep track of small recycling work, which is her only means of survival. How the funds will be used: $600 AUD – Install a basic toilet and sanitation If more is raised – Repair the leaking roof and unsafe floorboards If further funds are raised – Restore running water and allow for basic medical visits If significantly more is raised – I will return to Cambodia to care for her full-time Funds raised will be received by me in Australia and used directly to organise and pay for essential repairs and support for my wife’s home in Cambodia. I have already spent my life savings trying to care for her and bring her to safety. I am asking for help now because I cannot do this alone. I have already spent my life savings and lived in Cambodia for long periods trying to care for her myself. I did everything I could, but without basic infrastructure, income, or medical support, it was not sustainable. She has never been forgotten by me. She is deeply loved. I am asking for help now so that I can restore basic dignity and safety for her, and continue caring for her in a way that is possible. “There is also a separate short video included showing how I previously helped a child in the same community receive medical care. I’ve included it to show the kind of care and follow-through I bring to this situation.” https://youtu.be/gndhSZuaRTk