The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation

We cannot reveal her name or her whereabouts. We cannot publish a photo. To do any of these would jeopardize her life—a life that was nearly taken from her in a horrifying series of events when she was just 13 years old.

This story starts in Sierra Leone, a tiny country in West Africa that is the poorest country in the world according to UN figures. It is a country that has been engaged in civil war for over 11 years resulting in a deep, unrelenting humanitarian crisis that has left it devastated. As many as 75,000 people have been killed, and over 2 million forcefully displaced. It cannot be calculated how many have been victims of well-documented terror tactics like abduction, rape, torture and mutilation. Presently, trials are taking place in a UN-backed special court in which those who committed crimes against humanity are being tried. Key to these trials are the witnesses, who are under protection of the court for their safety. The court also specifies that medical treatments, as needed, be sought for these exceptionally courageous individuals who are risking their lives to bring the guilty rebels to justice.

In a letter from the clinical psychologist who supervises the medical and psychological care provided for witnesses in the court, help was sought for “M” who was a victim of extreme sexual violence 10 years ago when she was no more than a child. She was captured by 6 anti-government rebels and for days was forced to witness atrocities and killings. Ultimately, she was raped repeatedly by all of them; fists and foreign objects were brutally forced into her vagina. (more…)

written by Dick O’Toole

Following is an article by Dick O’Toole about one of the Foundation’s recent cases, 8-year old Abdul Hakim Hussein. This child and his family were victims of a late night American air strike in 2004 as they slept peacefully in their Fallujah home. Young Abdul was maimed and disfigured in the attack; his pregnant mother was injured as debris ripped through her torso, claiming her unborn baby. For the next two months, as the war raged on around him, Abdul Hakim endured several surgeries to his damaged face, including removal of his ruined eye and the placement of a makeshift prosthesis that actually caused further disfigurement. When the boy finally returned to his school, his friends and classmates turned away from him in disgust. But there are thousands of Abdul Hakims and the American organization, No More Victims, is in the business of helping them. They arranged for Abdul and his father Ismael, to travel to Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital to seek treatments from experts there. However the hospital was not able to meet the financial needs of Abdul’s extensive surgeries and it looked as if the boy would return home untreated. Enter Mr. and Mrs. O’Toole who read of the boy’s plight in the Pittsburgh papers. They immediately contacted The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation that committed the needed $50,000 for the boy’s medical and surgical needs, and the rest is history. (more…)

This story is like a finely woven tapestry. The details could not be more individual, far-flung or unusual, yet they come together in seamless fashion to create a big picture that shows us several people, cultures and scenes from distant lands. Here are the details: was born in Mongolia in February 2005.  He was found to have a fatal heart defect known as Transposition of the Great Arteries, which if left untreated, would surely kill him before he was 3 months old.  He needed immediate help that was not available to him in his remote corner of the world.  Thankfully, his uncle, Soyola Baasan, living in California, had access to the Internet and a wide world of potential medical assistance.  He sent almost 1,000 e-mails to people and institutions around the globe that he thought might help, but received only two responses.  One of these was from Dr. Evan Garfein, who as God would have it, possessed the heart and spirit to help as well as the right contacts to cardiac surgeons who could do the job.  Dr. Garfein immediately contacted Dr. Pedro del Nido, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Boston’s Children’s Hospital, who said he and his team would perform the surgery at no cost if he could view the baby’s echocardiogram and confirm the diagnosis.  Mailing the films from Mongolia to Boston would have caused potentially fatal time delays, and after many phone calls a television station in Mongolia agreed to upload the baby’s heart video onto their web site where it could be instantly viewed and confirmed by Dr. del Nido.  The diagnosis was corroborated, but the clock was ticking and two large obstacles still remained.
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A baby is God’s opinion that life should go on.
- Carl Sandburg

A mother’s sweetest joy in life is looking down at her newborn child. She swells with pride and love and her heart is filled with hopes and dreams for the new life she holds so tenderly. She cannot, even for an instant, imagine that any harm could come to the innocent life she has brought into this world, but in truth she cannot know what may be in store for her precious little one. Our SPOTLIGHT story this issue is a frightening drama with a happy ending brought about by the efforts of so many and the generous support of The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation.

CAST OF CHARACTERS:
Annabelle Green, the beautiful baby girl with the wide smile and blond curls.

Annabelle’s Parents, both unknowing carriers of the autosomal gene
that would cause Annabelle to be afflicted with a rare and deadly disease.

Christine Barrietua, Annabelle’s tenacious, loving Grandmother

Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, Director of the Transplant Program at Duke University Medical Center.

The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation, that made needed funds available.
(more…)