Help my child: Mother's cry

(Wednesday, June 15, 2005)

THE parents of a 10-year-old girl are desperately looking for money to give her medical treatment overseas.

Natasha Vandhana, of Lovu Seaside, Lautoka, has a speech defect, poor physical growth, cardiac murmur and looks different from other children.

Her mother, Shamma Sofia said doctors had told the family they needed $20,000 to send her abroad for treatment.

"She is my only daughter and the youngest out of four children," her mother said.

The emotionally-choked mother said of her only daughter: "She has had problems since her birth.

"I really want her to get well because being a mother, I cannot see her suffering like this.

"Since my husband works as a carpenter, we cannot afford to pay for her treatment abroad."

Ms Sofia said Natasha could not speak although she could hear.

She is unable to eat solid food.

In a letter to the family, a doctor at Lautoka Hospital said Natasha suffered from global retardation (development delay and speech defect).

The letter says her physical growth is poor, she has a cardiac murmur attributed to a congenital heart disease and she looked different from other children.

Ms Sofia said the family had been given a permit by the district administration office at Lautoka to collect money from June 3 to September 3.

"I have been to some settlements of Lautoka to collect funds.

"But the response from the public has not been good so far," she said.

"Although people make different kinds of remarks, I have no choice but to go around looking for money.

"We are only doing this so that we can send our only daughter for treatment.

"I ask people to help us in whatever way they can.

"We only want to treat my daughter because I really want her to get better."

FROM: http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=23119