***For more information about this child, please read Aug 19 08 post "Bitter Tea"***
Jeannie and Minor accompanied Maha and I to visit Sukhar and his family. Minor is a recently retired cardiologist and he generously offered to take a look at Sukhar while here. Although CRP does not - cannot afford to - take on medical need cases, after our initial visit to this family and learning of the severity of Sukhar's condition and that no-one was helping, we could not walk away without trying to offer help. We put out the word through this blog and two CRP supporters in the US - Kerry and Maureen - offered to do what they could to see if treatment for Sukhar can be arranged for in the US. They are approaching medical aid organizations and children's treatment centers to see if one will agree to provide life-saving treatment for this sweet kid. First, it must be determined as to whether or not he is a candidate for surgery. We are concerned that his condition is so severe that it cannot be treated surgically but we hope for the best and will not give up on the possibility of saving Sukhar's life unless we know that hope is futile.
Minor spoke with Sukhar's pediatric cardiologist here and Dr Salameh told Minor that a US pediatric cardiologist will be in Amman soon to attend a conference. Minor has now returned to the US and has contacted this doctor and he has agreed to examine Sukhar while he is here. We assume that we will need to go forward in getting current tests done to help evaluate Sukhar's candidacy for surgery. His last tests are out of date, from 5 years ago. Although inexpensive by comparison to what they would cost in the US, the $800 they cost here is beyond the ability to pay of this poor family. If you can help to pay for this, please contact us
I will post an update on Sukhar after he is examined by the US doctor.
Sukhar is not alone in not being able to receive the medical care he needs. There are many, many children and adults here who have critical medical needs and funding to provide them the care they need is criminally inadequate.
Cancer, in particular, is one disease that is under-treated since the cost of treatment is exceptionally high. Only a small percentage of those diagnosed with it receive care or do not receive it until it is too late to save their lives. The use of chemical and uranium weapons by the US in Iraq - both during the Gulf War and then since the 2003 invasion - has contributed to the high number of children with cancer and yet the US takes no responsibility in providing treatment and care for these children.
Not all lives are lost on the battlefield or under bombardment. The youngest victims of war sometimes suffer the most and the longest before they become another statistic of "collateral damage".
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