*UPDATE! Ethiopian Children: a return visit

Some 11 months after the life-saving expeditiona to India, a chance to visit Ethiopia again

Anna caught up with many of her ‘heartbeats’ as she now calls these children.

with mama-anna

bonds of love

with Yared and the teenageers who went to India

it has been less than a year

one heartbeat and her dad and Anna

Anna plays with yet more children

more children waiting

butchery

market

washer woman – yes really!

At the hospital in Bangalore.

W A R N I N G: some photos below might upset you – children in ICU

a future Dr?

there were test and tears. This ECG equipment is rather old. Got a spare $10,000? scroll down to donate. But you know every $1 counts…donate direct to the hospital.

this is a multi national hospital in Bangalore, serving in the most genuine sense of the word, those people in greatest need. Scroll down for a video clip of Dr Shetty and Dr Johns. Anna had the opportunity to meet Dr Johns, who had been offered all kinds of attractive work packages but chose to return to India to work at this hospital. He is also featured in the video clip.

the beautiful anna – they fell in love with her, and she fell in love with them.

ICU images below

such courage

these children will have a better chance in life now

The children had Yared to translate for them, and communicate reassurance etc in their own language. He had the same surgery years ago.

children are so brave and so resiliant. It is often tougher for the adults who watch.

Heart surgery has come so far in the last few years.

Tormorrow I will post pictures of post operative recuperation and fun.

so much love!

* * * * *

today we visit their Addis Ababa.

TOMORROW WE MEET YARED AND THE CHILDREN

Below is the area in Addis Ababa that Anna stayed, where Yared’s family live.

whilst the photo might be very confronting to many of us, it’s most important the we take those feelings and act on them, not turn away. (if you want to help, then scroll to the bottom of this page you will find a place to donate to the Hope for Children organisation that helps to organise the surgical trips to India.

These people don’t have to worry about paying their credit card payment, or house morgage or is the stock market crashing. Mostly they worry about getting enough food for the family for the day. In this environment the children work very hard from a very young age, this contributes to the high rate of heart damage; when added to the poor diet health becomes a serious issue.

It’s good to know there is a decent hotel near by. Right?

Anna checked out of her hotel and stayed with a lady near Yared’s home. She used the money saved to purchase food items that would be needed by the children (of various ages) of Yared’s family. I wonder if I could have done that? Could you….

a local market. many people and families cannot not afford fresh food. Yared and his family exist on rice, pasta, oil and what ever else they can get. Anna was concerned about the older girls needing to have protein.

USA cooking oil is hard to get, and very expensvie for locals.

However, toys guns are normal. Even in Ethiopia there are wealthy people, but toys (of any kind) are beyond Yared and his family.

locals in Addis Ababar getting petrol on a good day in the petrol war.

Yared was in an orphanage, however when he left he took 9 children with him.

They are now a family.

He travelled with Anna as a translator. He had been to Israel for heart surgery many years ago.

2 mattresses were purchased for Yared’s family to sleep on.

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The Hospital and the Drs:

Dr Devi Shetty – Indian Cardiac Sugeon at Narayana Hrudalaya -

inspired by one of his patients, Mother Theresa.

She said ‘ a helping hand is better then a praying hand’.

Follow Dr Shetty, and Dr Colin Johns as they assist an Indian family who thought their 20 rupees was not enough to save their son HERE

This is the hospital, and the Dr that Anna is escorting the 9 Ethiopian children to.

Semira 10 years. Felmeta 3 1/2 years. Remedan 2 years 10 months. Bezawit 11 years.
Anania 3years. Maybe Natnael 10months. Mussie 5years. Yoseph 19months.
Zahara 6years. Henok 6 years

Thanks to all the families & individuals who donated the cuddly-comfort-toys each child will receive.

Wednesday/Thursday 22nd/23rd October. 4 children have now had their surgery. They are in ICU. The baby is in theatre now and there are 4 more children waiting for their heart surgeries.

Sunday 19th October. sms from Anna ‘no ops so far, just tests and tears’.

The Children

Semira 10 years. Felmeta 3 1/2 years. Remedan 2 years 10 months. Bezawit 11 years.
Anania 3years. Maybe Natnael 10months. Mussie 5years. Yoseph 19months.
Zahara 6years. Henok 6 years
________________________________________

The Hospital

NARAYANA HRUDAYALA, BANGALORELocated in Bangalore’s Bommasandra Industrial area on Hosur road, Phase 1 of the hospital is spread over 25 acres. Presently, it has 500 beds with 10 operating rooms with the capacity to perform 25 heart surgeries in a single day. With the onset of Phase 2 NH will sprawl over an impressive 100 acres. The structure will accommodate 780 beds, 30 operating rooms to perform 75 heart surgeries every day.

Besides the hospital, it will also accommodate a teaching institute for cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, cardiac anaesthetists, nurses, health technicians and healthcare specialists. Once completed, the entire project will have 5000 beds called the Health City with specialty hospitals for every disease.

* *

Wednesday 15th October. We expect that Anna and the children, hopefully along with Yared, will have arrived in Bangalore, via Mumbai. We are waiting to on confirmation. Anna, and the children will be met by hospital staff.

In India the hospital, has donated all services for the children, who all require heart surgery.

Special thanks to all who have contributed $ to assist Anna to provide for Yared’s family during his absence.

Monday 13th October: Anna has reached AA the capital of Ethiopia. She writes:

‘I am having a life altering experience and yet need to be here at this time.
I spent the day with Yared (the boy i’m trying to get to come with us to india) and his family. now his family are 9 orphans that he took with him from his orphanage. If he comes with me, he needs food to for 3 months for his family whilst he is away with me. they only eat pasta because it is all they can afford!!!!!!!
about USD250 feeds these 9 for three months. If I only had more savings for this trip I could do so much with this little family!’…

* * *

Anna, loaded up and ready to go

The comfort toys & 2 Quillows were sewn onto the carry bag.

scroll down for more images

will we all fit in here?

…not long to go. Anna is actually ordering pizza!

9th October pm: final arrangments

6th October 08 The comfort gifts have been gathered. (that’s them above)Thanks to all who contributed.

3rd October 08: 3 more children have been approved. So now there are 8. 1 now has a private sponser and is going to Europe, and so we are just waiting for the a review of the final child for this trip.

2nd October: Donations of comfort-gifts and letters are being collected.

Late September: There is a review of the children underway.

Septempber: Anna (she wil be escorting the children) has had her shots, and arranged the technology she needs.