Hey Guys,
I have been a regular reader of this forum since the MSN group days. I don't post as often as I would like to, but I find this forum really helpful and friendly.
I don't know if anyone has posted on this topic before, but I wanted to let you know about this:
Most of us are fortunate enough to be able to afford our medical care. All u thalls are prolly well aware of the costs involved. I am thal myself and had to wrestle with the insurance agencies in the US to get myself covered. I was paying medical bills out of pocket at one time, and barely surviving.
Anyway, I learned about some thal kids in India who cannot afford their medical care. The medical center that they visit offers them free blood transfusions, but cannot afford to help with chealation. Some parents can afford minimal doses for their kids, others have even gone 8-10 years and have never had chealation. A small charity foundation has taken up the cause to try and provide some financial assistance to these kids.
I just want to stress that this doesn't have to be help with money. Sometimes all that is required is some helpful advice and support. These kids and their parents don't even have access to a wonderful resource like this online forum. Other things you can do are help with volunteering and charity events.
I thank God for all the help I have received from my family and friends. Not to sound cliche, but I hope I can pay this forward to others less fortunate. It pains me to know that there are some thals out there that don't have something that I take for granted sometimes - regular chealation.
If anyone is interested in helping out, I can post more details about this.