The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation

By Terri Carlson

Maryan with Elmo

I want to tell you about a very special little girl, Maryam. She was born in Iraq, with a deforming germ cell tumor on her face and because of her deformity, her father put her in a room, without food or water, to let her die. Her mother Rasha, a very brave young woman in a country where women have no say, took the child home to her family and tried to find medical help for the baby. When Maryam’s father learned of this he went to the hospital and tore up the baby’s birth records so Rasha could not take her out of the country.

Left with no alternative, and watching her child suffer and slowly die, Rasha brought Maryam to where U.S. Soldiers were stationed; asking for medical help. They made it possible for Rasha to seek help at The King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan. The KHCC took great care of Maryam but if her life was to be saved she would have to receive medical treatment in the United States. However, her chance of survival was extremely poor and no hospital would risk taking her case. (more…)

By Laurence M. Epstein, M.D.

Eileen Tye and Al-Juboori with Dr. Laurence Epstein

Nadia Al-Azzawi, a 50 year old woman from Baghdad, suffered for 3 years with recurrent fevers, sweats and weight loss.  She was chronically ill, unable to work and trying to raise three children with no help. In 2003, she was having many black-out spells and a physician implanted a cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in her chest to control her heartbeat. The device failed and was replaced 2 years later.  The implant site became red, swollen and tender, but the physician who placed the device had fled the country.  Ms. Al-Azzawi sought help at the local Shiite hospital and it is a sad fact that because she was Sunni, the hospital refused to treat her.

The infected pocket worsened and the device finally eroded through the skin. Finally, an ambulance driver cut the wire attaching the device to the heart, allowing the wire to retract into her body. For more than 2 years she lived with the chronically infected wire coiled inside her heart. Al-Azzawi was told to seek care in other countries, but the costs of travel and surgery were prohibitive; they could not afford it. “There was no one to help us”, said her husband, Moaiad Al-Juboori. “We saw her in pain, and we didn’t know what to do”. Through a friend, they connected with Simona Shuster of BWH International, and she took it from there, contacting The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation, which immediately agreed to cover this patient’s medical costs. (more…)

The cameras were rolling and the microphones were switched on at The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation this September when former conjoined twins Ahmed and Mohamed Ibrahim Gad walked into our offices with their parents. It was an emotional reunion with these two dear boys who greeted us with loving hugs and kisses, enthusiastic stories and even a song or two. Since we last saw them in October 2007, they have grown taller and stronger and now, at age 8, they are enjoying school and many of the normal activities of other 8 year-old children. Amazingly, they still speak English fluently even though only Arabic is spoken at home.

Ahmed and Mohamed with Eileen Tye

The boys were separated in 2003, during a landmark 34-hour surgery in Dallas, Texas while the world looked on. Today, these exuberant boys are proof that miracles do happen and we are proud to have been part of that miracle.

From: Erneste Simpunga
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009
To: The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation
Subject: Thank you for helping me.

Hello. How are you doing? Hope you are so good. I am not sure if you remember me but I will never forget you in my life. I am so sorry for being late to send you a message. This is because I lost your business card you gave me when we saw each other. If you recall, I came to visit you with Dr. Bolman and his wife. Please, I beg your pardon. This is how I found your email: I went to google and type your foundation. You have a nice welcome note when someone searches for your Foundation. It says THE RAY TYE MEDICAIL AID FOUNDATION, WE NEVER STOP CARING! WHEN YOU SAVE A LIFE YOU SAVE THE FUTURE.

Allow me to congratulate for this mission because you put it in practice, you do not only say it. Today, my objective is to thank you so much for paying my heart surgery.

Erneste visits Ray Tye after successful surgery.

When I met you, I tried to talk to you with my few English.  You gave me 2 pens and a red sox hat.  You told me to work/study hard and I am trying as much as I can.  I went back to school and I am studying so hard.  I am in senior 4 Biology, Chem- istry and Mathematics.  This is the class of students who dream to become doctors, nurses and pharmacists.  I am coming to the second position with 14 points out of 16.   I will send you my grades and you can see my performance if you do not mind.  Riviera High School is a new school that Dr. Bolman found for me here in Rwanda.  It is nice and expensive ($4000 per year).

I would like to be a doctor when I grow up and help other as you helped me. I wish to be a cardiologist, and I will like to come back to the United States for my college education.

I thank you once again for helping me and my God already blessed you.

Thanks.
Erneste.

Second letter on next page

By Eileen Tye

For security reasons I will not use his real name; let’s call him Mohammed. This case was brought to the attention of The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation by a nurse, who in working as an international public health consultant in Afghanistan came to know Mohammed and his story. Through her frequent communica-
tions, we learned the stunning details of the case and we embraced the urgency of finding treatment for Mohammed. This kind, caring nurse would become the boy’s Angel during the trying times he would face on his journey to find a new life. (more…)