Helping Children

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Thank you to Andrew Weiss Gallery for Fundraising Event!

June 28, 2011 in Events, General, Helping Children, Los Angeles, North America, Partners, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities by Jonathan White | Comments closed

On behalf of all of us at Real Medicine Foundation, we would like thank everyone involved for the wonderful fundraising event at the Andrew Weiss Gallery on Sunday!

Your support, generosity and contributions will make a difference in the lives of countless children and their families we serve around the world.

Photos of the event below:

Voices from the field: We shall name her Anandini, Anandini is Joy!

April 20, 2011 in Helping Children, India, Naiara Tejados, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, Voices from the Field by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Naiara with Anandini

By Naira Tejados

I still rememer vividly those days, long ago in terms of time, but mentally like it was yesterday.

After two days in shock, unable to sleep or eat after finding Gila (5 year old girl with tuberculosis meningitis and hydrocephalus) in her home on January 27th, I recieved a call from Caitlin informing me that the poor little girl had died despite all the efforts of the doctors in Ahmedabad.  Honestly I must admit that I felt a slight relief, as I believe if she had survived her quality of life would not have been what a little girl who had gone through so many traumas so young deserved.  The events around Gila’s death were reported in this blog by Caitlin McQuilling here.

Anandini's grandfather

It was obvious that someone in the family must have transmitted the deadly tuberculosis bacterium to Gila. So, after questioning and observing, it wasn’t difficult to identify the most critical patient in the family: the grandfather, the patriarch of the home, who had spent a long period bedridden, the last few days with fever and bleeding when spitting. My biggest fear was of the possible transmission of bacteria to the other 5 children in the home.

After two days immersed in the hospital we came to know that, while the grandfather clearly was suffering from tuberculosis, nearly all family members were anemic. With the help of our star native worker, Sumitra, I asked what their diet consisted of. It took me a few words to know that the conditions in which the family lived were deplorable: they had some land with dhal, a very typical lentil in India, had a few crops with peas and corn from which they made flour to cook roti, cakes of bread. They had nothing else. It was a great pleasure to provide the family food and other everyday items that they could not acquire. It was obvious that the family had spent all their savings in the treatment of Gila and was now ruined…

The second day, two hours after we dropped the family off at home, already very late at night, I got a call from Sumitra saying that Gila’s mother, who was in its final stages of pregnancy, had begun to feel the pains of childbirth. A new life was on the way! The next morning, impatient, I went to the hospital to see the new baby, when to my surprise, I learned that Dhana had not yet given birth. A nurse warned us that Dhana was very anemia Dhana and her life was in danger. I could not believe it! I thought again and again how unfair life was being with this family. Of course this hospital had no blood bank. Suddenly, a lot of ideas my mind was: what was the blood group of Dhana? Could I donate my blood? I begged the staff to analyze my blood type and they told me that it was not possible at the hospital. We had no choice but to go for help to a private hospital run by Catholics located in the same town, the same hospital that just 2 weeks before had stolen Gila’s life by not providing her the necessary drugs because of the family’s inability to pay. Maybe we could beg this hospital in this case to save the life of her mother and her brother/sister. We asked the midwife permission to take her to the other hospital, where we thought everything would be better under their supervision, but the midwife and the nurses told us that the baby would be born in the vehicle if we did. There was no time for anything, only wait.

Suddenly, from the hubbub of the hospital, we heard the cry of a newborn baby. It couldn’t be anyone else other than Gila’s new sibling. Taking advantage of a nurse on her way out of the delivery room, I rushed over to ask if the one crying was the one we were expecting. She nodded and let us know that everything had gone well, both the mother and daughter were fine, and there was no need for a blood transfusion to the mother. It was a girl! I could not contain my tears of joy. It was inevitable to think about reincarnation, so present in the lives of these people. Is that what you call it?


Anandini

To my surprise and joy, the next day, I learned that the Gila’s parents had asked us, the Real Medicine Foundation staff, to choose a name for the girl. What an honor! Thus, we chose the name Anandini for her, which means “joyful.” Anandini never cries. It was without a doubt, the best gift I received in India.

About a week after the birth, Caitlin, Jaimie and I went to the home for a visit. The family welcomed us with open arms. Concerned about their economic condition and their future, we asked how much their debt from Gila’s treatment totaled. They reported that to treat Gila they had borrowed € 1,000 to be returned with a 25% interest from a local lender, an insignificant amount in Western society, but which converts a family like this into a debtor for many years, perhaps also to the next generation.

I received a lot of money after writing a personal email the night Gila died to all my family and friends: It was an email asking them, each within their desires and possibilities, to donate money to use with the various groups I work with in India. Therefore, I immediately thought that I would love to help this family to get rid of this horrible debt. Thanks to the generosity of Jaimie, who was also present, and because she has raised a lot of money of her own (http://www.realmedicineblog.com/2011/03/18/voices-from-the-field- one-birthday-wish-granting-wishes-for-many-by-Jaimie-shaff) we decided that we would pay equally between the two of us. A few days later we returned to the home with the money, allowing the family to be free of at least of this burden. We did this knowing that this was something outside of our organization, because the organization focuses on providing medical resources but not providing cash. We saw the first smile yet on Dhana’s face. Many thanks to everyone who made this possible!

Anandini's father, Chhatra

We could not resist asking Anandini’s parents what work they would do from now on. Their response was unanimous: when she was a few weeks older the family would migrate along with other farmers having to abandon their homes, greatly increasing risk of several diseases in appalling conditions to which they have to submit, and leaving the older children in the care of grandparents. This response left us all broken hearted. Already familiar with the good work and infinite human quality of this family, Caitlin and Jaimie did not hesitate to offer a job to Anandini’s father, Chhatra, as a Community Nutrition Educator (CNE) with our organization. Chhatra, now works joyfully in his own village and neighboring ones, going from house to house, making sure that other children do not become victims of malnutrition and other medical conditions that are so easily preventable but that steal the lives of many in these villages.

For more information about RMF’s Malnutrition Eradication Program in India, click here and for more on our HIV/AIDS click here.

We can use any financial help you are able to provide on this project to continue our Education, Treatment and Outreach and help towards our goal of Malnutrition Eradication in this region of India.

To contribute to this initiative, please click Donate button or visit our website at realmedicinefoundation.org.


Haiti Health Cluster Bulletin Update

April 18, 2011 in Disaster Relief, Haiti, Helping Children, Providing Medical Support by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Haiti Health Cluster Bulletin:

Cholera and Post-Earthquake Response in Haiti: April 15th, 2011

The following report was compiled by the The Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population (MSPP) and PAHO, the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Americas,coordinate the Health Cluster. MSPP Cluster Contacts: Dr. Claude Surena; Dr. Jean Hugues Henrys; PAHO/WHO Contacts: Dr. Juan Carlos Gustavo Alonso and Dr. Josep Vargas.

Highlights

  • The number of cholera cases nationwide continues to decrease. The number of cases in Northeast, Centre, Port-au-Prince, North, Northwest, Artibonite, West (except Leogane-Gressier), South, Grande Anse and Southeast departments are stable or decreasing. However, cases in Nippes and West (Leogane-Gressier) are increasing (although only slightly in the West).
  • The continued decrease of cholera cases together with the phasing out of health actors from cholera treatment facilities has raised concerns about the capacity to cope with a potential increase in cases during the upcoming rainy season. The impact on the health sector is important given that the management of the cholera outbreak has been highly dependent on the support of foreign health organizations. A gap analysis is underway to identify potential risk areas and to sensitize donors to maintain their support to the cholera response.
  • An independent evaluation mission has arrived in Haiti to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the coordinated national and international response to cholera, both in terms of immediate and medium term impact. The results will assist the MSPP and its international and national partners to draw lessons from successes and shortcomings, and improve the joint response in case of a possible recurrence of the epidemic especially due to the upcoming rainy season.

Situation Overview

  • 4 April 2011, the cumulative number of reported cholera cases was 274,418, including 4,787 deaths. The observed cumulative incidence of cholera cases since the beginning of the outbreak was of 26.2 per 1,000 inhabitants, ranging from 4.9 per 1,000 in the Department of South-East to 40.3 per 1,000 in the Department of Artibonite.
  • Overall, the number of medical staff from health partners has been reduced in most CTCs and CTUs. Medical staff has been trained and is currently employed in the CTUs established in health centers. NGOs are mostly phasing out due to the decrease in cholera cases or due to the lack of funding. However, health partners continue to provide support to maintain regular training and refreshment courses for local medical staff, and maintain a surveillance system to monitor the evolution and assessment of the potential need to reactivate their response.
  • Apart from the essential work of the NGOs, it is important to mention the role of the Cuban Medical Brigade (CMB) as well. The CMB treated a high percentage of cholera and diarrhea cases during the epidemics through a network of CTCs and CTUs. They built up belts of community workers around each CTC and CTU, thus ensuring prevention and health promotion activities that accompanied the efforts to save lives at the treatment centers. The CMB also deployed active research brigades, who go to the difficult to reach sub-communes to investigate and treat cholera cases, thereby diminishing the “silent zones”.
  • The criteria for closing down cholera facilities and for phasing out NGOs from cholera facilities are well established, and there is an effort to maintain sufficient supplies and medical materials at the cholera centers. Nevertheless, lack of sufficient supervision and irregular payment of salaries to local health staff represent major risks that can jeopardize the response capacity at local and departmental level in case of sudden increase in the number of cholera cases, or any other major outbreak.
  • The WASH sector remains of paramount importance. The chlorination of water systems and water trucks delivering water to the metropolitan areas has been a huge progress, despite the challenges that this method still faces. Attention needs to be paid to the private companies and the alternative treatment systems being used so as not to have resurgence within the urban areas. In rural areas, the treatment of water remains a difficult challenge

Wash (Environmental Health)

PAHO/WHO continues to support the MSPP in identifying needs and priorities for the improvement of sanitary conditions of the health centers in several departments through water sanitation networks and

waste management. Environmental health is an essential part of the long term fight against the spread of cholera and other diseases related to water and sanitation management. The financial resources of numerous NGOs that ensured drinking water distribution and removal of excrement from latrines and septic tanks in Port-au-Prince are running out or have been exhausted.  Transition strategies offer only a limited solution, and serious concerns exist with regard to access to drinking water and adequate public health conditions.

Mental Health

The working group that formulates the Mental Health Policy and the National Plan continues to be dynamic. This group consists of the MSPP, PAHO/WHO, national and international mental health actors and several experts from universities (Toronto, and Montreal). The drafting of the national policy document is currently being finalized.

The list of essential psychotropic drugs for the country is in its final stages of development and the proposal will be submitted to the MSPP by mid-April. The WHO-AIMS is in its final phase, consisting of the compilation of data and development of the evaluation report.

Health Promotion

The final version of The Ways of Working (WOW) document on hygiene promotion will be circulated starting 6 April. It systemizes the lessons learned formulated during the Hygiene and Sanitation Promotion Workshop (Haiti 2010) held at Moulin Sur Mer on 11-12 March.

Nutrition

To continue to reinforce MSPP capacity, PAHO/WHO has provided support for the development and reproduction of 500 copies of the Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) management protocols that were provided to the MSPP in September 2010. With the cholera outbreak, PAHO/WHO has provided support to the MSPP to update the Protocol, taking into account the care of malnourished children suffering from

cholera.

New growth standards: In May 2010, PAHO/WHO took the lead in MSPP adopting new growth standards, and later by professional associations and partners. Based on these new standards, PAHO/WHO has supported the MSPP in the review of the “chemen lasante” map, thereby creating the opportunity to dispose of a draft of a child nutrition and health booklet since February 2011.

Revision of the IMCI: In order to make the necessary adjustments based on new WHO

recommendations and on the new national protocol for GAM management, PAHO/WHO is offering support for the review of current IMCI standards. The review of the national nutrition policy is underway.

Fortification: In order to prevent micronutrient deficiencies, the technical nutrition committee that support to the MSPP is currently conducting discussions on fortification of wheat flour with micronutrients.

Post Earthquake Health Surveillance

World TB Day, which took place on March 24th 2011, is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis remains an epidemic, causing several million deaths each year, mostly in developing countries.

This year, Haiti’s National TB Program of the Ministry of Health commemorated the World TB Day by organizing a Ceremony to launch the Reconstruction of the TB Hospital of Leogane, which was totally destroyed by the 2010 Earthquake. The Leogane center received the most significant number of TB cases in the country, and its loss resulted in an enormous challenge for TB services.

The meeting was aired on Haitian National Television and was attended by all national and international TB partners. The reconstruction will be done by Italian NGO INTERSOS, with technical support by PAHO/WHO and additional support by the Japanese Embassy.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or become a fundraiser for us at Causes.com

To contribute more information about our Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts,

To contribute to this initiative, please click Donate button or visit our website at realmedicinefoundation.org.

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RMF Japan Relief Partner update: Tales from Ishinomaki by Keiko Kiyama, JEN Secretary General

April 11, 2011 in Disaster Relief, Helping Children, Japan, Providing Medical Support by Jonathan White | Comments closed

by Keiko Kiyama, JEN Secretary General

I returned from Ishinomaki on early morning yesterday. Being faced with the familiar outlooks of my hometown after getting off a highway, I was surprised. While devastating conditions in the Tohoku region go on, everything seems to have been back to normal here in Tokyo except for sporadic power supply cuts.

Coordination meeting in Ishinomaki City, 7am every day (Photo copyright JEN)

What surprised me most was that there was neither mud nor trash on the roads. Regardless of the fact that people must live in extremely inconvenient circumstances, silently remove sludge with terrible odor around, spend night in freezing emergency shelters even today.

We have been assisting and surveying the region from 20th March to 4th April from our base in Sendai and Ishinomaki. I always feel beaten down when visiting the areas most devastated by the tsunami such as Ishinomaki, Higashi Matsushima, Minami Sanriku, and Ogatsu in Ishinomaki. Whenever I visit Ishinomaki Municipal Center, hard feelings repeatedly come up to my mind. But, it is not even comparable to the hardships experienced by those affected by the disaster.

There are parents who have lost all 3 of their children at once, people that cannot forget the voices calling out for help from the roof tops of the houses being swept away, those that that have lost both sisters and mothers at once; days start and end with numerous feelings of sorrow hidden inside peoples` hearts.
I wish to improve the conditions of the people affected by this disaster as soon as possible! As if someone scorns my jittery feelings, every day passes slowly; Our volunteer fellows are going around the community, removing sludge from each house, and providing soup kitchens.
We can only step forward one step at a time, so we go forward step by step.

Although the life in the emergency shelters is hard, it is better than the life of affected people staying in their own houses. This is because supplies are being distributed to shelters. Why don’t the supplies reach the hands of needy people despite the overflow of relief supplies in the warehouses? Because of no gasoline, no trucks, no sufficient manpower, no information… Stop making excuses and keep working on our relief efforts. Next time, my report will cover updates on the situation up to the point where the relief supplies reach affected people.

If you are interesting in donating to the earthquake/tsunami relief efforts with our partner JEN in Japan, click on Donate below.

Japan Relief Fundraiser at Space 15 Twenty a Success

April 4, 2011 in Asia, Disaster Relief, Events, Helping Children, Japan, Providing Medical Support by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Rachel (TOM's shoes), Tania (Space 15 Twenty), Vy (Rudy's Barbershop)

We would like to thank everyone involved at the Japan Relief Fundraiser held at Space 15 Twenty on Saturday for  their support, it was an amazing day filled with fun, music and charity!

As this event was sponsored by the kind folks over at Rudy’s Barber Shop www.RudysBarbershop.com, Ace Hotel www.acehotel.com, Cha Cha Lounge www.chachalounge.com and Bimbos Cantina www.bimboscantina.com, this group agreed to match donations to our Japan Earthquake  and Tsunami Relief raised at both this event and on our website.

We brought in $1,246 for the Japan Relief Effort through this event, and 100% of these funds will go directly to providing the evacuation camps with food, water and supplies for which they are in dire need.

Many thanks again for helping with the recovery process for the people of Japan, and be sure to check our website for updates on how you have made a difference- www.realmedicinefoundation.org

Enclosed are more photos from the event.

If you are interesting in donating to the earthquake/tsunami relief efforts in Japan, click on Donate below and be sure to mention Japan as the donation purpose and we will continue to organize funding to JEN’s relief efforts.

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Japan Relief: Partner update from the field, Distributing clothing and food

April 1, 2011 in Disaster Relief, General, Helping Children, Japan by Jonathan White | Comments closed

From the JEN blog

Distributing clothes from UNIQLO in Ishinomaki City, and the arrival of the fourth team!

On the 29th March, JEN distributed warm fleeces and underwear by UNIQLO at three sites in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.

The clothing was donated by Fast Retailing Co., Ltd (UNIQLO), and their employees assisted the distribution. A total of 759 local residents were present at the three locations to receive the items.

The distribution of clothing. Many residents gathered following the radio announcement.

In addition to the UNIQLO clothing, we distributed items that JEN brought from Tokyo. These were items provided by our supporters, such as precooked and sealed food, canned food, powdered milk, adult diapers and wet wipes for elder care. JEN will continue the distribution of these items in other locations of the city.

Another team (Miyako Hamasaka and Tasuku Futamura) arrived in Ishinomaki on the 29th. With their arrival, JEN will continue its distribution of hot meals in the evacuation centers and the removal of mud from evacuation centers and local houses – an activity urgently required in the area. JEN will also identify communities currently not receiving assistance, and conduct needs assessments in such areas.

Stay tuned for further updates from on the ground in Japan on our website.

If you are interesting in donating to the earthquake/tsunami relief efforts in Japan, click on Donate below and be sure to mention Japan as the donation purpose and we will continue to organize funding to JEN’s relief efforts.

SmileTrain and CHL Apollo-Indore bring new smiles to MP!

March 22, 2011 in General, Helping Children, India, Jaimie Shaff, Voices from the Field by Jonathan White | Comments closed

by Jaimie Shaff

Shakuntala before surgery

We’ve all played the classic game “heads, shoulders, knees, and toes (knees and toes!)” Actually, I’ve been so wrapped up in adulthood, I had forgotten about it. One night when we visited the Bhil Academy, I saw Naiara playing the game with the smallest kids and remembered singing the song with my cousins and preschool students, back in the day. Part of the song goes “eyes and ears and nose and mouth…” and the children point to the respective parts of the face. Two eyes. Two ears. One nose. One mouth. Something so simple, most of us don’t even think about the meaning.

Shakuntala after surgery

For children born with cleft palates, the song is not so simple. The physical deformity is visually shocking, and can cause much stigma against the child throughout life. From what we have seen in rural India, when the child is first born, parents don’t know what to do or how to feed the baby, and some children end up severely malnourished. As the child grows up, he or she is often ostracized from his/her peers, leading to delinquency and absence from school. As an adult, the acceptance into society is reduced, and all social aspects of life are affected. For women in our region, a cleft palate is a serious burden to bear, increasing risks such as domestic violence and job discrimination.

Sharikia before surgery

Fortunately, a solution is simple. A procedure that takes only 30 minutes can change the entire future for a child. Unfortunately, the knowledge of available services and access to such is not widespread in rural areas, and the burden of a curable birth “defect” adds weight to an already difficult life.

20 February 2011, SmileTrain and CHL-Apollo-Indore Hospital held a health screening in Meghnagar for cleft palates, heart conditions, thyroid issues, and other ailments not screened for at rural health centers. Our nutrition team arranged for three children from three districts to be screened for cleft palate operations, and the team at CHL-Apollo offered to operate on any children we brought with us to pre-op.

Sharika after surgery

On Wednesday, Naiara, Edith, Pushpa, Manisha, and myself brought four children from the districts of Jhabua, Khargone, and Barwani to CHL-Apollo for pre-op (three children were sick and had to be postponed).

17 March 2011, all four children received successful operations for their cleft palates.  Thanks to the incredible support and efforts by SmileTrain and the team of CHL-Apollo, the lives of Shakuntala, Sharika, Pepita, and Pipu will be forever changed.

Pepita before surgery

I was absolutely overwhelmed with the quality of care and attention provided by CHL-Apollo, and am so grateful to see the generosity and compassion that exists in the world.  Out of all of the experiences I’ve had working here, this was certainly one of the best.

Pepita after surgery

Three of the children will be receiving a second surgery in June, and three more children are in line for their first.  We can’t wait to see their new smiles!

A special thanks goes to Mr. Rajul Bhargava, Dr. Jaideep Chauhan, the team at CHL-Apollo, and the staff of Hotel Infiniti for all that you did to make this possible.

SmileTrain’s website can be found here: http://www.smiletrain.org and CHL-Apollo-Indore Hospital can be found here: http://www.chlhospitals.com

For more information about RMF’s Malnutrition Eradication Program in India, click here and the Bhil Academy click here

To contribute to this initiative, click on the Donate button below or visit our website atwww.realmedicinefoundation.org

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Real Medicine Japan Relief: $18,000 Matching Donations Challenge!

March 21, 2011 in Asia, Disaster Relief, Helping Children, In the news, Japan by Jonathan White | 2 comments

We are very pleased to announce that the kind folks over at Rudy’s Barber Shop www.RudysBarbershop.com, Ace Hotel www.acehotel.com, Cha Cha Lounge www.chachalounge.com and Bimbos Cantina www.bimboscantina.com have agreed to match donations to our Japan Earthquake  and Tsunami Relief dollar for dollar up to $18,000!

The challenge has started and we will be tracking the donation totals coming in on the home page of our website.

Currently, our relief efforts are focused on partnering directly with a Japanese non-profit organization, JEN (“Japanese Emergency Non-Profit” http://www.jen-npo.org/en/index.html) based in Tokyo.  JEN is an officially registered Japanese non-profit founded in 1994 in response to the humanitarian crisis in Bosnia, and has since then been conducting relief around the world for victims of war, internal conflicts and natural disasters.  JEN is focusing on providing food and other needed supplies to those sheltered in Tokyo and in the earthquake/tsunami affected northern zones.

Stay tuned for further updates about our relief efforts from on the ground in Japan on our website.

To donate to our Japan Relief efforts and help us reach the $18,000 goal, click on the Donate button below or visit our donor page directly at: www.realmedicinefoundation.org/donors.

-The Teams at Real Medicine, Rudy’s Barbershop, Ace Hotel, Cha Cha Lounge and Bimbo’s Cantina

To contribute to this initiative, click on the Donate button below or visit our website at www.realmedicinefoundation.org/donors and be sure to mention Japan Relief.

Real Medicine Foundation To Participate in LA Marathon For Second Year, Portion of Proceeds to Go Directly to Relief Efforts in Japan

March 18, 2011 in Athletes for Real Medicine, Disaster Relief, Helping Children, Los Angeles, North America, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Los Angeles, CA – March 18, 2011 – Real Medicine Foundation is proud to announce that for the second year, it will be an official charity of the LA Marathon this Sunday March 20th.  Runners from across California have joined Athletes for Real Medicine raising $18,000 so far for the non-profit which provides humanitarian support to people living in disaster and poverty stricken areas.

Some of the funds raised will go directly to Real Medicine Foundation’s relief efforts in Japan. The organization has partnered with JEN (Japanese Emergency Non-profit) to provide food and supplies to emergency shelters. JEN’s motto of “psycho-social care and assistance for self-reliance” is very similar to Real Medicine Foundation’s focus on the person as a whole, providing medical, physical, emotional, economic and social support.

Forty LA Marathon runners have opted to run and fundraise on behalf of Real Medicine Foundation, which operates in 15 countries throughout the world, including at home in Los Angeles, serving more than 6 million people a year. Donations of any size are accepted, and donors may earmark funds to be dedicated to specific projects, including relief efforts in Japan.

Dr. Martina Fuchs, founder and CEO of Real Medicine was honored earlier this year with Lifetime’s Remarkable Women recognition.  Fuchs says, “We are thrilled to be included in the LA Marathon again this year.  With every step these runners take, they are bringing people around the world closer to complete health. If that’s not a great reason to run, what is?”

Real Medicine has received considerable support from the community, including Fox Entertainment Group’s FoxGives, CAA, Environment Charter High School of Lawndale, and Comfort Chiropractic of Monterey Park. Sole Runners Long Beach has runners dedicated to Real Medicine as well.

Lisa Suen, who oversees Real Medicine’s Creative Development, says, “The support we are receiving in the LA Marathon will allow us to continue battling malnutrition, providing screening tests for children, or even just providing the food people need to survive another day, whether in disaster areas like Japan or areas of on-going need such as Haiti and India.  We spend every day promoting health, so to see runners use their extremely strong health to benefit our work is doubly powerful.”

Real Medicine is sponsoring a cheer station at Mile 22 (San Vicente and S. Canyon View Drive) and invites the public to come and show support. The station will feature cheer boards to encourage runners, made by the children who benefit from Real Medicine’s Community Outreach Programs at Florence Western Medical Center in South Los Angeles.

About Real Medicine Foundation: Real Medicine Foundation (www.realmedicinefoundation.org), a 501c3 registered non-profit organization based in Los Angeles, provides humanitarian support to people living in disaster and poverty stricken areas.  RMF believes that “real” medicine is focused on the person as a whole, including medical/physical, emotional, economic and social support.  RMF’s unique approach to humanitarian relief involves partnering with local groups wherever they are to ensure that the clinics and solutions it creates will be sustainable long after the public spotlight has moved on.  Real Medicine’s CEO and Founder Dr. Martina Fuchs was recently honored by Lifetime as one of Lifetime’s Remarkable Women for the work she and her organization have been doing around the world. RMF currently has clinics and projects around the world, including Haiti, Peru, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, the United States, and more.  For complete listings of RMF’s projects, please visit www.realmedicinefoundation.org/our-work.

Voices from the field: “One Birthday Wish granting wishes” for many by Jaimie Shaff

March 18, 2011 in Helping Children, India, Jaimie Shaff, Voices from the Field by Jonathan White | 1 comment

by Jaimie Shaff

For the friends and family who know me best, it goes without saying that my date of birth is a sore spot for me. Last year, I actually skipped town and went on an AcroYoga retreat out of state!

This year, I’m unbelievably grateful to report I had the best birthday ever, and it’s all because of you (and Causes, of course). I began with a goal of raising $1,000 for some of the sweetest kids, and ended up with an astonishing $7,025. The money raised gave us the opportunity to follow up with kids from my “love” list, and saved three lives in the first two weeks. Just like that.

Here’s a little update of what we’ve done so far:

-Gave toys and coloring materials to kids to promote their psychosocial development (and to let them be kids!) on Chinese New Year.

Pankaj and toys

-Found Suriya and Amansingh close to death, and gave them a fighting chance to live. We’ve since uncovered a larger issue, in that the family is using these poor little children to exploit the system, but that’s for another blog.

Amansingh after 2 weeks at the Nutritional Rehab Center

-Provided emergency transportation and support to Rahul, a 2 year old with Tubercular Meningitis, to a prestigious public hospital in Ahmadabad, where he received a life saving shunt to drain fluid from his brain. He’s just returning from his first follow up appointment, and things are looking good, but his condition is far from stable. However, it does look like his sight might be coming back!

-Provided Basanti an operation for her clubfoot through the organization A Leg to Stand On (http://www.altso.org), at Civil Hospital. She’s recovering beautifully from her first operation, with a second operation scheduled for June.

Jaimie and Naiara signing Basanti's cast

-Transported Ayush (the happiest little guy in the world!) to Ahmadabad to follow up on his brain-shunt and evaluate his physical disabilities.

Naiara and Ayush

-Paid off the loan shark used to pay for Gila’s (rest in peace, little one) expensive private medical procedures, allowing the family to be free from debt in order to raise their new daughter, Anandani, to be healthy and safe. This story deserves justice, a blog to come.

Anandani

-Hired Anandani’s father as our first male CNE to help him avoid migrating for work and leaving his family struggling to survive.

Anandani's father

-Brought 4 children from the fields to Indore for cleft-palate operations at CHL Apollo through the organization Smile Train. (http://www.smiletrain.org).

Shakuntala before her cleft-palate operation

See Jaimie’s Birthday Wish Causes page here: http://wishes.causes.com/wishes/203560

Special thanks to “A Leg to Stand on” and “Smile Train” for helping make the operations possible.

Thank you everyone for allowing us to do this. The lives of these children will be forever changed thanks to your kindness, compassion, and support. You should just see the smiles.

For more information about RMF’s Programs in India, click here and here

We can use any help you are able to provide on this project to continue our Education, Treatment and Outreach in the Madhya Pradesh region of India.

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