Bumps in the Road

I have sad this many times--it is hard work helping people. The efforts to get Tison to the U.S. are moving forward. We did run into a "bump in the road". We need to have the "power of attorney" documents signed and notarized by an Indonesian Notary. We had the POA translated into Indonesian and also in English. Tison and his family went to Ternate to have the documents signed They could not find a Notary who could read English.

It looks like the best option is to go to another city and find a Notary who can read English and notarize the documents. It gets complicated sometimes. The process to get Tison to Alaska for the surgeries is full of plenty of "bumps in the road".

Tison's parents will travel to Jakarta to meet with officials at the U.S. Embassy. We want to make sure every document is in order. When Tison is awarded the visa to come to the U.S. he will have passed a number of bumps in that road. It takes a lot of effort and costs to just get him to the place where he can get the help being offered to him.

Culture Shock

Imagine the shock Tison, the nine year old Indonesian burn survivor, will have when he steps off the warm Alaska Airlines flight onto the frozen walkway into the terminal. Fairbanks Alaska is a very cold place in the winter. I have been told the he is excited about coming to Alaska. I know he is excited but he will experience a cold that he cannot even imagine.

There will be the normal culture issues to overcome. He is a really great little boy. He will be safe and cared for by his host family. I know it will be a challenge but I believe he will do very well. The cold will definitely be something he will tell his children about. Indonesians think 75 degrees F. is cold. They put on sweaters and pull the hoods over their heads.

He is an active boy and might love the winter activities. He will get to have his first real white Christmas.

We are still waiting for the appointment at the Embassy in Jakarta. When he is awarded his visa--he will be on his way to the bitter cold of the north.

Next Step

The next step for Tison, the nine year old burn victim, is to get all his letters of support to the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. We have organized and sent all the these letters from Alaska. We sent the package by Fedex to Indonesia. This Fedex package full of the letters he needs went from Fairbanks to Anchorage to Memphis to Anchorage in four days. It winged it way to China and was in and out of the distribution center in an hour and a half before arriving in Jakarta. Finally, the letters made it to Manado.

The next stop is the U.S. Embassy. Tison, his father and Hendra, the escort, will make an appointment at the Embassy. Once the time is set at the Embassy we can begin to plan his arrival in the U.S. Tison will receive the medical treatment he needs once he gets to Alaska.

We are hopeful that he will be awarded a visa to come to the U.S. We have done everything we can do on this end and it is up tot he Embassy to do the rest.

Passport Granted

Tison recently met his parents in the city of Ternate. They had not seen each other for around a year. This was not just a get together, this was a time to set a direction for Tison's future. Tison has been at the clinic on the island of Halmahera for the past year. He is burned over 40% of his body. He has missed his parents but his village in about 200 miles from our medical base. They left him at our clinic where he receives daily treatment for his wounds. He was given a passport with the support of his parents.

He is one more step closer to getting to Fairbanks, Alaska for the medical care being offered to him. All the providers have agreed to give him the treatments he needs as charity. This is such a great chance for him to come here and get the "life changing" surgeries he needs. There are some awesome people who are willing to give their professional skills and personal support.

There are many more steps to take until he is in Fairbanks. The support letters have been sent to Indonesia. These letter will be a presented to the U.S. Embassy in support of the application to award Tison a visa. We are weeks away from the next big step--where he is granted a visa to come to the U.S.

Distinguished Service

Elizabeth (Liz) Wood is a surgical nurse who has a huge heart. She organized a monumental effort to save the life a a child, Billy Ponto, who was very ill and faced certain death. Liz arranged for the doctors, hospital, housing and even raised the money to cover all the expenses. Liz is someone who sees a need and then just finds a way to gather resources and partnerships to meet the need.

It was an honor to recognize Liz, for her heart and amazing tenacity. International Friends of Compassion presented the first Distinguished Service Award to Liz on October 14th. She was surprised and in the expected response, she minimized her part in the effort to save Billy. We all know, she did all the heavy lifting and deserves the honor.

Peter Scarborough wrote, "There are a few things that really stand out with Liz. Her compassion for people and her ability to get help for them. We have seen this particularly in the cases of Billy and Tison. Liz has seen the needs and moves mountains to respond to the needs. We here in Indonesia, want to thank Liz so much for all the amazing help she has provided, she is dependable and well worthy of the honor bestowed upon her." There are so many who love and respect Liz. Epen Akay, our friend and translator, said this, " You (Liz) are an amazing woman, with such an incredible compassionate heart. All your efforts and spirit, that you gave to save Billy Ponto's life is such an encouragement to me. It is a privilege to be able to know you. You are an inspiration!" We all agree Liz is an inspiration and deserving of the Distinguished Service Award.

Safe Lamp

In many remote regions of the world the poor use kerosene lamps to light their homes at night. A common simple wick in a can of fuel is used in millions of homes. It is very dangerous because it can easily spill and start a fire or in the process of filling the lamp it can explode. It is a serious hazard and we have seen numerous injuries due to kerosene lamp accidents. There is always a lot of pain and suffering with each burn.

IFC has arranged for two burn patients to come to the U.S. for care and a third child, Tison, is in process--all of them were injured because of the accidental mishandling of kerosene. It is a challenge because we have limited medical ability at our base to help them. We cannot do skin grafting or prosthesis. We can clean their wounds and do some therapy.

Recently, our staff heard of research on a "safe lamp" being used in Sri Lanka. I contacted the foundation and found a very helpful and awesome team working on this project. Dr. Wijaya Godakumbura worked 17 years to develop a safe kerosene lamp. I admire his work and tenacity. His hard work will prevent horrible burn injuries and even save lives. I contacted Dr. Godakunbura about the availability of purchasing or making the lamps in Indonesia. The process is in place to partner with them to bring these safe lamps to Indonesia.

I want to recommend that you take a look at their web-site and vote for them as a worthy project in "The World Challenge-09" contest conducted by the BBC, Newsweek, and Shell.

Please Log on to one of the following:

1. http://www.safebottlelamp.org and click ‘Breaking news’ on home page

2. http://www.theworldchallenge.co.uk/2009-finalists-project10.php and click ‘Vote now’

3. http://www.theworldchallenge.co.uk and click ‘Vote now’

Tison Needs Our Prayers

I got a note from Peter Scarborough asking for prayer for Tison. Tison has burns over about 40% of his body. His right leg has had an open wound on it that has a very bad infection. He has been so brave and has endured the daily changing of dressing. The hospital staff have done a wonderful job on all his wounds. He needs our prayers and support at this time.

Tison will meet with his parents tomorrow. He has not seen them for nearly a year. They will join him to apply for a passport. Once he is awarded a passport then he has to go to the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta to apply for a visa to the U.S. He has a lot of steps ahead of him. His world will change very fast.

Imagine living in a remote village in the tropics and coming to Fairbanks, Alaska in the winter for treatment. He is used to playing soccer and walking around bare-footed. He will be taken care of very well but the culture and cold will be major challenges. They think 75 degrees F. is cold--imagine minus 40 degrees. Please pray for him.