October Update

It has been over one year since my sister Selam was injured in the accident. It has been a year filled with challenges for my entire family, but through it all we survived.

I want to thank all the donors and supporters of the Selam Fund. I wish it was possible for me to show my gratitude in person to each and every one of you. Just know that your actions have saved a family and we forever appreciate your kindness. Thank you.

Selam’s recovery is continuing. Her doctors recently ordered leg braces for her and she is in the process of learning to use them. She is also becoming more aware of her bowel and bladder movements.

Our original plan to bring Selam to the United States to get treatment was not successful due to the large amount of money required for the deposit. We have not given up hope, however. Bringing Selam to the US is still our goal, but meanwhile we will continue to work with Ethiopian doctors to provide her with the best treatment available.

  

June update

Hello everyone,

I apologize for not updating the site for such a long time. It has been a busy, hectic time as I work towards my graduation from UC Riverside in June. But I am excited to share some news with you about my sister Selam.

First, thank you to all the people who have donated to this cause. Because of your generosity, my sister is getting physical therapy at Kadisko General Hospital in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia. The treatment in Addis may not be as “state-of-the-art” as what is available here in the U.S., but it is definitely better than nothing.

Selam is making great progress and recovering slowly, but surely. She is now able to do many things herself, including, turning over, getting herself off the bed to the floor and using her upper body strength to stand for a few minutes. She can also move her left toes, and has sensation in her feet. She still uses a catheter, but can sometimes feel it when she needs to use the bathroom.

The plan to bring Selam to the US for medical treatment proved to be harder than we all thought but that is still the ultimate goal. We are thankful and grateful for the work of the doctors and therapists in Ethiopia. This experience has been an eye-opener for me, as I think I pictured my home country as it was 11 years ago when I left it. It has changed in many ways since then.

So again, thank you for your support and your kind donations. I hope to update this site more often in the coming months and hope you will check back regularly.