Paraplegic Regains Health and Happiness
December 22, 2016
Siama, a parapalegic living in one of the poorest regions in Burma
Siama was a gifted and very bright young boy who was chosen and sponsored by an American NGO to continue his education in a nearby community as the small village of Zokhawthar, India. It only has education from Grades 1 to 9, few children in Zokhawthar are able to afford to continue their education as they are usually required to work full time by the ages of 14 to 16 to support the family. However, Siama’s life changed forever in a tragic vehicle accident while on his way to the nearby village to attend school after a weekend visit at home. Siama was in a vehicle roll over and became paralyzed from the waist down. When the MMC team visited the India/Myanmar border in 2010, Dr Ray and Nurse Brenda visited Siama in his family home.
Nurse Brenda instructs Siama's cousin on how to treat and prevent bedsores
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Siama had severe bed sores and was badly undernourished. The Medical Team educated a young cousin who was Siama’s primary caregiver in the proper treatment and prevention of these bedsores. Nurse Brenda also decided to sponsor Siama with an annual contribution of $500/year to provide better nutrition and proper dressings and medicines to care for the wounds. Siama in 2010 was isolated, depressed, poorly nourished, with no friends and no future.
While in India on one of Brenda's returns back to help at the medical clinic in Zokhawthar, she visited Siama and seen a steady progress in Siama’s well being. This photo taken in 2012 shows the most severity of the wounds and Brenda providing further teaching to Siama’s caregiver on proper medical care to heal the wounds. |
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Siama, a full 7 years later, is now a healthy young man. He is still being supported financially by Brenda and her family and his improved health has enabled him to become stronger so that he is able to now sit in a wheelchair, participate in community activities, make friends and lead a relatively active life. Life is never easy for a paraplegic in an incredibly poor community like Zokhawthar but just the simple improvement of a protein based diet and wound care has made a dramatic difference in this young man’s life. Below is a picture of a healthy, happy Siama today attending a local community soccer game.
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Siama today, healthy and happy
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MMC's Zokhawthar Clinic with nurses, Brenda and Neil Samis, Dr Zauva and others