Nurture hospital which is in the countryside, is about a 30 minute drive from our hotel with no traffic, first thing in the morning. Bangladesh’s countryside is equivalently as overpopulated as her city, but it is a respit from the jammed, compact mass of confusion in the city. We pass shrimp ponds, rice paddies and rustic open air storefronts along the way. Just in front of Nurture hospital their are many small family home compounds consisting of walls made of brick or bamboo with metal roofs.
Peditrician Len Friedland, met this group of children playing outside of their homes and shared a bit of mutual fascination.
Nur, who came to this Rotaplast mission with her family to repair her unilateral cleft lip was excited to receive a gift of a new outfit.
Through the kindness of a family business, “Byer of California”, children’s clothing was donated to the children of this mission and other past missions.
Riyaz came in today with his father from 2 hours away to have 2 hemangiomas removed. One from his eyelid and one from his upper lip. Riyaz’s father said that he goes to school and tries to do well but it is hard to see because of his eye. He told us that his active son, Riyaz wants to be a business man when he grows up. Riyaz helps his father in his business which is selling goods to retail stores.
Riyaz likes to play Cricket and Football (Soccer). Dad said he really hopes the surgery turns out well.
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.”
-Rabindranath Tagore
(Bengali Poet, Nobel laurete)