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 Operation Renewed Hope: MEDICAL MISSIONS: WORLDWIDE: MAKARA MISSION |
This is Makara upon
entry into the U.S.
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MAKARA MISSION
Operation Renewed Hope is working to help a 14-year old girl named Makara Tuan. ORH team members treated Makara at a free medical clinic in late November, 2007 near her village of Svay Rolom, Cambodia.
After further treatment and analysis, it has been determined that Makara has an Aneurysmal Bone Cyst (ABC), which is a solitary, expansile and erosive lesion of bone.
Makara needs some complicated surgical procedures and extensive rehabilitation, and needs to receive this treatment in the United States.
View a letter from ORH volunteer Dr. Kendall Suh, M.D. to Kenmore Mercy Hospital. View / Download > (.PDF)
ORH has arranged for Makara to receive charity care and management, including anesthesiology, surgery, hospital and rehabilitation stay.
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This is Makara upon her
return home to Cambodia.
The picture above is of Makara's
homecoming at the airport in
Phnom Penh with friends and family.
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04/22/2009
Update #4
Makara is home in Cambodia. Below is an email describing her home coming by an American business man who lives and works in Phnom Penh. He was following her story and wanted to be at the airport when she arrived:
"I just returned from the airport and wanted to let you know that she arrived safely. I ran into Lok Siphan and missionary Tom's other assistant there, then waited with Makara's parents, brothers and sister, some friends of hers, and her grandmother for her to arrive. Lok Siphan mentioned that you were going to call him in 30 mins. to make sure she made it okay, so hopefully you already know she made it.
When Makara came through the doors of immigration, you could tell she was trying to be strong, but the tears were coming. I'm sure she was surprised at the amount of people there for her (about 15). I attached pics for you. She looked very good and happy! Her parents did too. I'm sure she was tired, probably relieved to finally be home again.
It made me feel good (being the only American person there), because Makara made a special effort to come over and thank me for being there :) She certainly has a glow about her, doesn't she? She is very special!
Well, write me back when you have time. I'll see Makara again sometime in the next couple of weeks as we'll take her back in to the Embassy here to show she returned (that's a big deal because many people just don't come back and that's why visas are so difficult to obtain -- also, it improves her chances of getting another visa in the future).
If you want me to tell her anything, let me know. Rest assured that she made it home safely and looked happy :)"
Paul was the lawyer who helped her to get the paperwork done so she could come to the United States. He did all the work for free.
Please pray for Makara. Her surgery consisted of removing the cyst in the bone and all the bad bone. Then they in
God bless, all of you who have prayed and worked for her surgery to be successful.
God bless,
Jan Milton
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04/22/2009
Makara Tuan - Easter 2009
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Update #3
Makara's surgery has been a total success. She is doing well and will be going home on Friday the 24th of April.
She has many new goals in her life. She wants to learn English well enough to teach in Phnom Penh. This is a very encouraging glimpse of the future for her.
Debra Franco is writing a book about "A Miracle for Makara." It will be children's book to describe the steps which occurred for Makara to come to the United States for her life changing surgery. All proceeds of this book will go to a fund to help Makara realize her hope and wishes to become a teacher of English.
If you would like a copy of this book please send a request to Debster401@msn.com.
As soon as the book is ready for shipping they will get it into your hands.
We are thankful for all that God has done in her life. But really more has been done in the hearts of those who worked with her. God has been a great blessing to us as we worked with her.
Please, pray for her as she goes home. The change is very huge.
Jan Milton
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04/02/2009
Makara Tuan, 14, of Cambodia, does rehab work
Tuesday in the Williamsville Diagnostic Center
under the guidance of Mike Bauer. At left is
Deborah Franco, who led the effort to help Makara.
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Update #2
Teamwork helps Cambodian girl walk
By Jay Tokasz
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Less than a month ago, Makara Tuan used crutches to navigate her Cambodian village and risked losing her right leg to a rare bone disease.
But on Tuesday, thanks to a remarkable set of circumstances that brought the beaming 14-year-old girl to Western New York, Makara walked into an Amherst physical therapy office, without crutches, and performed a series of exercises with an easy smile.
“It is a miracle, the whole thing, from start to end,” said Deborah Franco, a Lockport resident who helped lead the effort to get Makara’s ailing leg healed.
The start was more than a year ago, nearly 12,000 miles away in a small village in Svay Rolom, where Makara limped into a medical mission run by Operation Renewed Hope, a Christian humanitarian group based in Fayetteville, N. C.
Makara complained of a broken leg, and when doctors asked her how she broke it, she simply replied, “I got out of bed.”
X-rays from a hospital two hours away in Phnom Penh ultimately confirmed that Makara had an aneurysmal bone cyst, a disorder that ravaged her femur to the point that merely walking would cause it to snap. Unless she had complicated surgery by a skilled orthopedist, the leg probably would have to be amputated.
Franco entered the story about a year ago, when she met a doctor affiliated with Operation Renewed Hope at a convention in Louisville, Ky. The doctor later e-mailed Franco regarding Makara’s case and the organization’s efforts to find a U. S. hospital and surgeon.
Franco, in turn, contacted her close friend Dr. Helen Cappuccino, a general surgeon who is married to an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Andrew Cappuccino, the man credited with helping save the life of former Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett.
Andrew Cappuccino agreed to do the surgery and volunteered to fly to Cambodia.
But hospitals there don’t have the equipment necessary for the kind of delicate surgery necessary in Makara’s case.
When approached by Operation Renewed Hope, a few American hospitals declined to host Makara. So Kenmore Mercy, where the Cappuccinos practice, signed on.
Franco’s employer, Raptim International Travel in Lewiston, which specializes in travel arrangements for humanitarian efforts, paid for the airfare. An immigration attorney provided pro bono legal work for Makara’s visa. And Cappuccino and Kenmore Mercy provided their services free of charge.
In all, the gratis services probably totaled more than $50,000, said Jan Milton, founder of Operation Renewed Hope.
On March 14, Makara flew into Chicago, where Franco met her for a flight into Buffalo. On March 19 Cappuccino placed rods in Makara’s leg to allow the bone to heal.
Makara has been living with Franco, who has temporary legal guardianship while the girl is in the United States. She’s also spent time with the Cappuccinos, who have a daughter around the same age as Makara.
Milton credited Franco with making Makara’s unlikely journey and recovery a reality.
Franco, though, ascribed everything coming together as the work of God.
“There’s absolutely no man who could have done all that,” she said.
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03/20/2009:
Update #1
Dear Friends,
This is an update on Markara a 15 year old Cambodian girl which came to one of our clinics. Sponsored by Operation Renewed Hope, Makara came to the U.S. for surgery for an Aneurismal Bone Cyst in her leg. The bone had developed many times the regular size and filled with air pockets. Because of the cyst she could break her leg by simply walking on it.
The message below is from the wonderful lady who is lovingly housing Makara for the duration of time in the U.S. Deborah lives in Buffalo, NY, and was completely instrumental in helping ORH.
All went very well. She remained calm and happy throughout the morning and afternoon as we packed and prepared to head to the hospital. She remained calm throughout the hospital registration procedures and prep for obtaining weight, height, blood pressure, drawing blood, etc.
At one point Helen (Surgeon's wife, also a doctor) pointed at a cross on the wall (which there is one in every room at this hospital), Makara asked me if the hospital was Christian, when I told her yes, she had a big smile on her face. She also had a big smile when Andy (Surgeon) walked in, she knew he was going to help her leg.
The care and compassion of the nurses and staff at the hospital was most touching. The nurse practitioner mentioned that she does short term missions in Costa Rica each year, another nurses sister has an adopted baby from China, etc...
She is in a good, safe, caring place. It wasn't until they were just ready to wheel her to surgery that a few tears streamed down her cheeks. It looked like it all just hit her, the reality of her surgery. Although she did seem very aware of exactly what was going on;
we are still surprised by how strong, calm, at peace and joyous she has been.
At that point we felt it would be reassuring for her to speak with someone she knew from Cambodia and someone that understood her language; the best candidate being
Anna Johnson (Dr.Tom Johnson's wife. Dr. Johnson is the missionary doctor who is her pastor. Anna is here in the U.S. with her ailing mother ). So she graciously spoke with Makara over the phone seconds before going into surgery. Anna was a reassurance of comfort to Makara. The surgery took about 1hr 1/2 to 2 hrs.
All went very well! Her recovery also went well. They did give her something for pain.
When Makara awoke, she pointed at the pain chart at level 8 (from 1 to 10) and again had tears building; so they gave her something to reduce the pain. She is in a private room near the nurses station.
Helen and I left her sleeping well for the night. We also went over her menu, making sure the food served in the hospital is things we know so far she likes: like rice, veggies, toast with jam, orange juice, scrambled eggs, tea, etc...
Please let her parents know all is well. You will be receiving an email from Helen informing you on the medical details of the surgery.
Thank you for your prayers!
Soon she will be home living a normal life!
Please continue to pray for Makara's recovery, those loving her back to health, and her family in Cambodia.
God bless,
Jan Milton
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03/18/2009:
UPDATE ON MAKARA
Dear Friends,
Please read the message update below from the family where Makara is living.
Makara will be in the hospital (Kenmore Mercy) from Thursday to Sunday. March 19-22nd. She has settled well here and is amazingly picking up English quickly. She brought her english school note book with her filled with words translated in her own writing from Cambodian to English. Now in the U.S., she has learned quickly to apply it.
I am keeping a journal of foods she likes and doesn't like to give to the hospital. I will also be there with Makara most of Thursday at the hospital before, during and after her surgery. Helen will be right along side of her husband Andy (surgeon) during the surgery. Makara is very comfortable with Andy and Helen and very excited that they will be helping her to walk again. When Makara leaves the hospital Sunday, she will be staying with the (surgeon) family for further recovery. She then will come back and stay with us. Andy and Helen have a daughter Elizabeth, they are the same age (within months) and Lizzy is excited to have Makara stay with her. All these "little details" are such blessings!
Makara and I are going to the store today to pick up a few items she may need in the hospital: nightgown, slippers and robe of her own and a few picture books. She received an I-Pod with Cambodian music from "Paul" that helped with her Visa in Cambodia. My son Alex played it from our computer and we all enjoyed it together. She is amazingly happy, calm and all is very well, even the communication has gone smoothly.
Keep up your prayers; as we can feel them in every "detail".
Please continue to pray that all will go well.
God bless,
Jan Milton
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Because of Makara's past physical condition, she has been unable to attend school, but with God's healing hand through this surgery, she is now able to walk.
But, we need a minimum of $50 USD per month to pay for her school and help her reach her dreams. Will you help?
Please make a donation
today towards
The Makara Mission…
*Please be sure to type
"The Makara Mission" in the "Designation (Optional)" section
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