a sad day

Adia's family took her out of the hospital, again, yesterday morning.

I cannot describe how devastated I was when I arrived all jolly and armed with my little gifts, and then getting impatient as the kind orderlies ran all over the hospital compound trying to find her, then nervous as she was no-where to be found - I nearly apart when someone finally found in a log-book that she had been discharged around 5 am. She was discharged against medical advice (they had to make their mark on a paper to that effect), and though the nurses and orderlies all were very sympathetic to my position, there was nothing more they could tell me, and nothing more they could do.

They also scooped up the 3,000 rupees i had left for the next day of her care. In the future I will be paying only by the day, which will be a bit of hassle but obviously well worth it.

I grew more and more frantic as I searched all their usual places and they were nowhere to be found - asking nearby businesses was little help. They're all rather annoyed with the way I bring these children into the restaurants and stores - normally they're driven away whenever they approach - and I've the feeling they'd keep mum even if they did have any information. I drove around downtown, Charminar, and every other place I could think of, with nothing to show but a colossal rickshaw fee and broken spirits.

BUT! all is not lost!

When I eventually gave up and went home I finally crashed, and was quite oblivious for the next twelve hours or so (the first significant sleep I'd had in four days, so it was quite needed) - and while I slumbered, Mr.Nutmeg went downtown and found them! In their usual places, little Adia on the ground as usual in a filthy towel and grandmum using her for alms.

Please acvcept my apology if I sound harsh - but I am beginning to feel ire toward Adia's relatives, and buy less and less of their story of 'poor exploited ladies in fear of an evil man'. I found something out yesterday - Adia has been checked into Niloufer hospital, in their gov't ward, every 14 to 20 days since her birth 20 months ago, to be given dextrose treatment for one to two days.

This is how they have kept her alive, and as charitable as i want my thoughts to be, a brief glance at reality tells me that this is a deliberate action to keep her just alive enough to act as their cash cow.

I am angry, though still striving to re-align my thoughts.....angry because I can tell Adia WANTS to survive - after everything she has endured, she still reacts immediately to treatment - and survival is her right. Since I've met her, I've watched her fight continually with everything her little soul has to stay alive despite the abominable treatment which is being foisted upon her, and I cannot help but be angry with those who are placing every obstacle in her way. Despite their background, their culture, their past, what they are doing is no less than slowly murdering her.

Armed with this resolve I called and visited every legal avenue i could today. I had little hope for this, and my suspicions were well-founded...there is literally NOTHING the Indian legal system in Hyderabad can (or will) do against this situation. There is no 'aggression' involved, so it is not considered 'abuse' - there is no provision for neglect. I can keep taking her to the hospital, they can keep taking her out. They can refuse to let her eat or drink. It's their 'right'.
Unless I am able to agitate for justice, there is very little way to get Adia away from these people and into a better environment.

A hearing in which I can petition the court for temporry custody of Adia, long enough to get her proper treatment, is not available until October. Let us pray that we have enough time to wait. In the emantime, that I do not lose track of Adia entirely, I believe it will be necessary to give gifts to the family that will continue to make them find it profitable for them to bring her to where I meet them.

Your prayers and thoughts are needed more than ever.

Many projects are underway to raise funds and awareness for little Adia all around the world. Anyone who wants to take part, in any capacity, is welcome to join our discussions on Adia's forum. We hope to see you there!

hospital day!

Today is a wonderful day.

Adia is in the hospital!!!!!

This morning Adia was admitted to Niloufer Pediatric Hospital in Hyderabad. After a general checkup, the doctor confirmed that she was suffering from malnutrition and prescribed treatment.

As fantastic as it may be that Adia is under the watchful care of doctors in a safe place, I believe I want to look into options to have her transferred to a private hospital. Though assured that Niloufer is a private institution, I discovered today that in fact it is a government hospital with a private wing. From what I witnessed today, the hospital seemes to be severely in need of resources.

Adia was admitted to the hospital with a high fever, but the doctor was unable to treat this immediately because the hospital lacked fever medication - though it was eventually administered to her after I provided the funds to secure it. Indeed, it seems that Niloufer's patient-load is far more than what they are equipped to handle - Adia's ward is relatively peaceful, but wadering through the long corridors today I witnessed sights that will not allow me to rest well for a very, very long time. Once Adia is in a stable condition, I think it would be best to transfer her to an entirely private institution - for now I believe she is in competent hands.

Tomorrow morning at 10:00 I have an appointment with her doctor, at which time he will be able to discuss Adia's condition more extensively.

I am forever astounded at little Adia's tenacity in fighting to survive - she responds immediately to treatment, and seems to spring back remarkably no matter what her condition. Here are a few pictures I took a few hours after she was admitted - forgive the blurriness (my hand was a bit quivery, overcome as I was!)...what a truly beautiful child she is!





We took Adia's sister, Jyothi, out for ice-cream after we left the hopital to celebrate - another very lovely and winsome girl!



I'll be back tomorrow with a further update - we can all delight today in knowing that little Adia is safe, happy, and on the road to getting well.

what's the buzz?

For anyone who wants to keep track of the various projects Adia's 'auntys' have in the works, or for all who would like to contribute time and energy and wonder where they can find their nice, we have a new forum just for the up-and-coming Foundation!

Our fantastic friend Svartr on etsy (and resident technical whiz) has made a wonderful place for everyone involved, from trustees to friends to curious passers-by, to record and discuss projects, ideas, and everything else that surrounds our blossoming organization. Please do stop by and say hullo, find a project to contribute to, or catch the current news!

How wonderful - we now have a treasurer! A paypal account has been set up just for Adia's donations now. As of next week (if all goes as planned), we will be fully official as a charitable trust!

Anyone who wishes to contribute to Adia's cause is warmly welcomed to do so. Tomorrow, Adia is scheduled to return to the hospital, at which time we will provide for a full month of her care. We hope this month will suffice to stabalize her condition, but to fully recover, she will need further months of medical assistance as well as continued physical therapy to prevent or remedy any developmental delays incurred by malnutrition. We are immensely grateful for all who feel called to help defray the ongoing expenses of Adia's care.

You can use the donation button to the right on the sidebar, or make your contribution to adiasauntys@gmail.com

Blessings to all.

in the works!

So much is going on of late regarding the charitable foundation for Adia and her sisters around the world! My paperwork for the non-profit is being reviewed, 'Adias Auntys' on Etsy are alays coming up with wonderful ideas for helping her through the arts!

We've decided to make the charity an international foundation to help children in need through art and creativity. All artists and artisans who want to contribute their talents to the cause are welcome to join, and we have a great many projects in the works to raise funds and awareness! A quilt, jewelry, shirts and totes, a colouring book and a children's story, murals and other wonders are being discussed, as well as a photography project and a collaborative gallery exhibit. In addition to helping little Adia and other children in India, our members will be spreading the word and seeking out children in need in their own communities around the world.

Right now we're conduting a vote to decide upon our foundation's official name. Many beautiful names have been submitted, and all are welcome to take a vote on their favourite ones.

I will be delighted to hear from anyone around the world who is interested in joining our cause. Artists, crafters, and people with other talents are also welcome - we always need all sorts of people to help us with the many, many aspects of running a non-profit. Whatever your skill may be, we'd be pleased to have you! Write us and let us know: adiasauntys@gmail.com

sad news....

a disheartening day, i'm afraid.

i went to pick up some much-belated sundries at the bazaar this afternoon and saw Adia and her grandmother.

she looks miserable.

she and grandmum were sleeping in the alcove of a shop when i approached, Adia wearing nothing but a towel - no matter how many dresses i bring them, they usually refuse to clothe her properly.

i was at first delighted to see them, since it meant one less day to wait for the hospital - but lo and behold, not a hospital in Hyderabad was open today. apparently the prime minister died, which was an excuse to shut down EVERYTHING but the scant vegetable-stall or beedi-shop. i'd hate to think of what happened to anyone who needed dire emergency care today. nothing much could be done but buy grandmum's promise to return to the same place tomorrow.

i gave Adia some diluted milk fearing that anything more substantial might do more harm than good. she's another problem now - flies. droves of them which i could not keep away even by constantly fanning her off. i'm hoping it's just because they haven't been cleaning her properly, and i thought of giving her a bath but didn't know if something like that would be too much of a shock to her. i'm really frightened to do almost anything with her now because i don't know what her very fragile system will handle.

tomorrow we will go to the hospital - hopefully a better update will come then.

Finances

Until the charitable fund is in place, I've been keeping track of all donations and the amounts we've matched in a little book along with our expenditures. I realised that some might be interested in the financial spectrum of things, so I thought it might be well to post a summary each month of how we're doing!

Here is my (very first ever) accounting chart for the month of August:



I'll also list an estimate of our projected expenses for this month, and what our financial goal will be.

We plan to re-admit Adia to the hospital on the 4th, and this time it shall be a private one, amounting to approximately 1000 rs daily for a monthly total of 30,000 rs.

If I can get the consent of the family to place the older children in school they will require school supplies, uniforms, and shoes/underclothes. I estimate this cost to be around 2,000 rs for each child, a total of 4,000.

There will be some fees associated with the founding of the charitable trust, amounting approximately 5,000 rs.

I would like to invest a small amount of money in supplies for the women of the family to begin producing embroidery to sell, a traditional handicraft which the grandmother is quite talented in. A good start-up amount for the endeavour would be 4,000 rs.

Based upon last month's expenditures, the cost of feeding the children each day totals about 200 rs, for a monthly total of 6,000 rs.

Sometimes it is necessary to present gifts of money to the parents, in order to persuade them to continue bringing Adia to meet me, or to secure their consent for the children's needs. I wish to keep this to a minimum with a reserve fund of 5,000 rs, and a contingency fund of 2,000 rs will cover unexpected sundries.

This brings the monthly average needs to approximately 50,000 rs, or 1,020 USD.

It seems like quite a sum, but less so when one considers that it will benefit a family of 9 members (or more - I have yet to ascertain the exact number of relatives with whom Adia lives). The exact sum needed may end up as more or less, so I propose that any remainder at the end of the month be placed aside for unexpected needs of the children in months to come.

Another issue which concerns me is the family's housing. I have not visited the home in their native village, some few kilometers outside of Hyderabad, but have seen the miserable shanty cobbled together from cardboard and corregated tin which they reside in during their time in the city. At other times, their shelter is nothing but a small alcove near the positions where they collect their alms. I will be seeking local groups which may be able to provide them a better solution.

Hopefully this has provided a comprehensible overview - please feel free to comment here or contact me directly at dustcastles@gmail.com should you have any enquiries.

Those who wish to contribute to the ongoing costs of Adia's care may do so below:

Blessings to all for your continued support and caring.