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.
