Sad News about Dawa

I am sorry to have to write this but we lost Dawa Tamang yesterday. He died before a second operation could be performed to try and save him. It happened late in the evening and he was cremated in the middle of the night with Kamal, Jagat, his mother and a few relatives attending. His father did not attend and after he was told about his son he disappeared which left the mother to deal with the paper work and arrangements with the help of Jagat and Kamal.
This makes my heart very sad and it was caused by untreated ear infection for lack of money to take him to a doctor.
When I am in Nepal this time I am going to try to make it clear to families that when a child is sick they must let us know so we can deal with it early to hopefully stop this from happening in the future.
I know this little boy and his family well and my heart goes out to them especially to the mother who apparently was so brave.

Great News of Dawa

I have just heard that Dawa's surgery was very successful. Jagat and Kamal waited to 11 o'clock last night until the surgery was finished and sent these photos.

This is wonderful news. A little boy's life has been saved.

A local artist, Melanie Circle is having a silent auction on Sept. 2nd at a local art show to raise some money to help Dawa. More on this later for local sponsors who would like to attend.

Brain Surgery for Dawa

This is a sad story about a 10 year old boy called Dawa Tamang. He is one of our sponsored children from a very poor family in Katmandu. He was hospitalized a couple of weeks ago with suspected meningitis. He was admitted to the Children's Hospital which is a teaching hospital and they will allow poor families to pay half of the medical fees and give them free food. We paid for this and for his medications. He then needed a CAT scan as they suspected he had a brain abscess. Jagat and Kamal took him for this to another hospital and then a few days later went to the Bir Hospital in Kathmandu to see the doctor who told them he had an octogenic brain abscess and that he needed surgery immediately or he would become paralysed and probably die.

The cost for this would be about $660.00 and they only might be able to give him a slight deduction due to his poverty. We told them we would send the money and he is at the time of writing in surgery. I do not know what the prognosis is but Jagat tells me that the doctor says he will be okay. Our garage sale money will pay for some of it and the sponsor is helping also. Thank goodness we can do this or this little boy would die.

Jagat and Kamal have spent days at the hospital and waited hours to speak to doctors. Yesterday they were there from early morning and got home at midnight. They had to go and buy the blood and medications he needed for surgery in midst of huge political demonstrations.

I am relieved that we can help this child but what is so sad is that had we not provided the money this child's life would be over and he would have probably died a slow and painful death. How many children is this happening to in the third world? Also he got this from a untreated ear infection.

I am very grateful for Kamal and Jagat's dedication to helping this child.

I will keep you posted as to his progress.

A tarp for a leaking roof

From the garage sale money we purchased this tarp for a family in Hattiban. Their roof is in very bad shape and leaking. Really a problem during the monsoons. These parents are hearing and speech impaired and very poor. We also bought them some rice.

Returning to Nepal

I am returning to Nepal on September 19th just for one month this time. Due to luggage restrictions on the airline I am flying this time I can only take letters and very small items. I will be visiting as many families as possible in the time I am there.