Grace Review | Meet
Chandradasa | Poverty is the Worst
Form of Violence | Volunteer
Profile
Grace Review – A Monthly Journal of the News from
the Grace Care Center
By James A. Mitchell, VeAhavta Press Officer
Grace children pray for ailing friends
It was a month of prayers and promises for both Grace Care Center
and Sri Lanka. Some were answered; others remain unfulfilled.
The children, elders and staff of Grace Care Center and Mercy Home – not
to mention their many friends around the world – patiently hoped for the
well-being of 11-year-old Tharshala Mahendran, a little girl with a big smile
and an ailing heart, and Mr. Chandradasa, the “resident hero” known
as Mr. Gandhi. Open-heart surgery was successful for Tharshala; and in November
an amputation was performed on Mr. Gandhi, a delicate
surgery from which he is recovering as well as possible, although there have
been complications.
The wounds of a nation did not offer equally encouraging news. By the end of
October, the hoped-for return to negotiations between the Government of Sri Lanka
and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were again broken off. November
began with three days of Air Force strikes on Tiger locations in the northwest
and east. The negotiations were the first attempt at renewing cease-fire negotiations
in eight months; their abrupt halt and subsequent military activities led many
observers to warn that a return to civil war remains possible.
Rev. Dr. S. Jeyanesan reports that several new military/police checkpoints have
been added in the north and east making travel (and, therefore, his work) extremely
difficult. He also estimates that the number of internally displaced persons
in the north and east has increased by approximately thirty percent since last
August.
More than 65,000 people have been killed in Sri Lanka since the war began in
1983; the cease-fire agreement of 2002 has yet to evolve into a peaceful truce,
and more than 2,000 Sri Lankans have been killed since renewed fighting began
early this year.
Grace Care Center Manager Diane McLaughlin reported that October included frequent “hartals,” a
shutdown of traffic, commerce and often school for the orphan girls. The uncertainty
of day-to-day life was compounded at the seven-acre Grace Home with concern over
Tharshala and Mr. Gandhi. McLaughlin spent the end of the month in Colombo, paying
bedside visits to patients young and old.
In late October, a successful operation was performed to repair holes in Tharshala’s
heart. Along with skilled doctors – one of whom arranged for a grant to
pay for the procedure – Tharshala had the prayers of Grace Home and VeAhavta
on her side, along with an attendant named Susila, whom Diane said held the little
girl’s hand practically around-the-clock during the frightening ordeal.
Tharshala was expected to return to Grace Care Center in early November,
where Mercy Home Co-Director Angela prepared a special recovery room, certain
to be visited often by nearly 80 young friends.
Mr. Gandhi made it through his amputation, “In the big man’s hands,” according
to Diane, knowing the love and respect felt for him back at Grace. Mr. Gandhi
will remain in Colombo during recovery, but looks forward to returning to Trincomalee.
“It wasn’t his time yet,” Diane said. “He wanted to get
back to Mercy Home.”
Grace Review | Meet Chandradasa | Poverty
is the Worst Form of Violence | Volunteer Profile
