The Universe Answers

In the Bijapada cluster, we have met a couple of villagers that have severe skin issues. Both patients are immobile, making it difficult for us to bring them out of the canyon and into a hospital. Also, their families say that they had earlier visited the hospital but their health did not improve.

...At first site of their skin illness, one cannot help but want to do something drastic and immediate. Their conditions look so very painful. Life would be so depressing. It's depressing to just see these guys. Every time I visit them, I visit Patient 1 first, since his hamlet comes first on our walk from the powerhouse site. I go thru the usual emotions; by the time I reach the next hamlet, I've almost forgotten the sadness. But then I encounter Patient 2 and the emotions rise again. ...Further depressing is that Patient 2's 16-year old grandson also has increasing areas of numbness on his limbs. ...What is the disease? Is is contagious? How many more people have it? What can we do? ...How can they just keep living day after day, dealing with it as it is?

Finally the Universe answers: Thanks to my friends Naman and Sri-- both phenomenal doctors working on developing country health issues--there is now a path in sight to address Patient 1 and 2's illnesses. Sri and Naman have connected us to specialists in the US and in Orissa who are willing to help diagnose the skin conditions, if we can get a few tests done. Local doctors are also very interested to help. ....We just need to make it happen....soon!