Week 4: 11 - 17 Oct 2010

The translated letter was delivered by Madan at the Paropakar yesterday - at the same time as we received a mail from Dr Pant, that he had visited the hospital and seen Ghane for a preliminary examination; he also took pictures and a video capture.

Sad news: Ghane was born with Myelomeningocele, a spine defect which often causes Hydrocephalus, and also means that she will most likely be paralyzed from the location of the defect, and downwards. Can't say that I didn't google this congenital condition when we started investigating, but we were hoping it was something else.

Happy news: Ghane looks so sweet in the pictures, and the video shot reveals a little girl who smiles easily and seems to enjoy contact and attention, reacting positively to voices around her. She follows everything and everyone vividly, and it seems like she's used to being talked to and receiving some attention. That's comforting.

On Tuesday, Dr. Chaudtary from Paropakar got back to us by e-mail - she is friendly, but refers to her Director for decisions, as there might be legal matters involved in our helping Ghane. Mail forwarded to Dr. Lata Bajracharya - awaiting response.

The rest of this week, we research hospitals which can perform treatment of Ghane - TUTH is able to do so, also Nepal Medical College & Teaching Hospital. The IFCH that we had first found turns out to be a dead end, confirmed by a German girl who interned there this summer; they do not have the equipment they claim to have, and the doctors there do not perform brain surgery. Thanks, Lea Blaumer :o)

I check the credentials of TUTH by contacting an Indian doctor who has visited several neurosurgical sections in Nepal, and he confirms that facilities exist.

The greatest progress happens at the end of the week: Dr. Basant Pant and I talk on the phone for 45 mins, and he has decided to go into this case with us, and help Ghane beyond his profession! Before doing so, he wants to know that we are not freaks, so we're now friends on Facebook, and we've told him everything about us, our son, our jobs, our house, our lives.

We talk about next steps, and he promises to get back to us after consulting with his legal friends.

We are now in the middle of Dashain, the Nepalese festival, so everyone will be hard to reach over the next few days, and afterwards, Dr. Pant says he will be very busy.