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Four babies with no home |
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Competing for their mother’s care
(inset)Nayanajith and Nadeeshani |
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By Ranee Mohamed
Sadness began to set into their lives the
moment they laid down their four bundles of
joy. And as the attention of the country
dies down and reality takes over, parents of
the quadruplets born at the Castle Street
Hospital on April 22 are crying out for
help.
"Having four little babies have made us the
happiest parents on earth. I love my
daughters in a way that words cannot
express," said Nayanajith Mutucumara who at
31 years of age is the proud father of
five. With a smile on his youthful face, he
holds his little daughters as he would hold
close four roses on a stem.
Their father loves them immensely but there
is no explanation for the way the babies
stop wriggling and crying when their mother
touches them. There is so much love here, so
much longing and so much of a miracle.
On April 22, as the world lay asleep, these
little ones awoke to the world entering it
with a cry. Nayani Nadeera born at 11.36,
Naduni Dinara at 11.37, Nuwani Pulara at
11.38 and Niduli Thinara at 11.39 all born
just before midnight surprised the whole
country with their rosy little toes.
Proud mother
Today the initial happiness and rosy hues
are turning darker as reality sets in.
Damitha Nadeeshani watches her husband hold
their babies close. She is truly the proud
mother of these four pink clad babies.
With a five year old daughter living with
her mother-in-law in Wettewa, Matugama, and
four more daughters at this Castle Street
Maternity Hospital, mother Damitha
Nadeeshani who is an only child is trying to
get over the fact that she is the mother of
five at 26 years of age.
"We have nothing to call our own. We have
pawned the only two gold chains and my
wife's pair of earrings that we had, and
sold everything of value that we had
collected," said Nayanajith who has no
steady income. "I am unemployed, so I have
to depend on some temporary driving work to
feed my family. Now with four more mouths to
feed and a wife who needs special care, and
a daughter about to get into school, the
burden has become too much to bear," said
Nayanajith in tears.
It is one month since the babies were born,
but Nayanajith and Nadeeshani remain at the
Castle Street Hospital. We are unable to
take these babies home because we live in a
space that is about 10 feet by 11 feet. In
this house lives Nayanajith's brothers, the
wife of one of the brothers and his parents.
Take them all
"Our babies need to be shown to doctors very
frequently. It is not that they are ill, but
there are certain after-care measures that
we have been asked to follow. So, when we
take one baby, it means that we have to take
them all," explained Nadeeshani who is
breast-feeding them all, in addition to
giving some formula preparation.
Nadeeshani and Nayanajith have to supply
napkins, blankets and other baby needs
enough for four infants. "There were some
people who gave us a few napkins, but to me
it seems that even a hundred napkins are not
enough!" said Nadeeshani. "We do not have a
baby cupboard and I am wondering where I am
going to keep all their clothes," she
worries.
For the moment the aftercare of the
quadruplets do not appear to be too much of
a burden for the young couple as the trained
hospital staff and qualified doctors and
paediatricians look into their every need.
But who will take care of them and their
needs when they go back home is the question
that gnaws at their happiness.
"My wife needs to eat well, and there is no
way in which I can buy her the nutrients
that she needs. She ought to be given a
special milk powder and nourishing food. How
can I do that without any source of
income," queries the distressed father.
As their parents bond together in these
difficult times, the infants smile, possibly
seeing fairies in their dreamland. But for
these young parents, the battle is on as the
demons of an unbearable cost of living and
inflated bills threaten their future and
their happiness.
Care and kindness
"I am so thankful to the hospital
authorities for all the care and kindness
they have shown. I am especially thankful to
Dr. Ananda Ranatunge who has helped us from
the first day I told him that my wife was
expecting quadruplets. We were given the
amazing news of our four babies by Dr.
Pradeep Silva of Nagoda Hospital who
initially examined my wife," said Nayanajith.
"We could not believe what was happening
because my wife was never on any kind of
fertility treatment. She barely took a
paracetemol tablet," said Nayanajith who is
wishing that his daughters will bring luck
to their little family.
"My older daughter begged us not to bring
back home a brother. She told me that it has
to be a little sister and nothing else. And
when I told her that we are bringing her not
one, but four little sisters, her little
eyes widened in amazement," recalled
Nayanajith with a smile.
"The way people have reacted to our own joy
makes us very happy. When I went to Arisen
Ahubudu to get the names for our babies, he
did not charge me any money. I was so
touched by this gesture," said Nayanajith in
tears.
Money they say cannot buy happiness. And the
happiness that Nayanajith and Nadeeshani
share is unique. The joy that parenthood
brings is a rare one, and children are truly
a gift from heaven. But with a mere Rs.600
in their account at Seylan Bank as their
only financial security, Nayanajith and
Nadeeshani only hope that their happiness
remains amidst the burdens of life that seem
to weigh us all down.
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Safe in a model hospital
Director, Castle Street Hospital,
Dr. K.K.W. Karandagoda speaking to
The Sunday Leader said that the
hospital has offered the best
possible care to Nadeeshani and her
babies during her stay.
"This is a model hospital for
quality assurance," pointed out Dr.
Karandagoda and went on to say they
were working with a Buddhist
Japanese donor organisation called
Yumi Bukkoyo-Kai.
Nadeeshani was given pre and post natal care by the Castle
Street Hospital.
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Tharanganie's dreams shattered
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W.H.A Thamara Tharanganie |
By Risidra Mendis
W H. A. Thamara Tharanganie was a healthy
child who led a normal life. From her
younger days Thamara enjoyed life just like
any other kid of her age would do. As she
grew older Thamara like all other girls
dreamed of the day when she would get
married and someday have a family of her
own. Coming from a family with one sibling
Thamara was determined to lead a healthy
life.
But as she grew older Thamara's future
suddenly looked dark. At the age of 18
Thamara started suffering from fits. Her
family's decision to treat her with "Sinhala
medicine" didn't do her any good.
"I was treated with Sinhala medicine till I
was 33. The Sinhala medication didn't work
and I continued to suffer from fits. My
medication was increased but the fits
continued to occur. The fits were getting
worse and unbearable for me. As a last
resort in 2002 I got an MRI scan done. The
MRI scan revealed that I had a growth in my
brain," Thamara said.
Complex partial seizures
According to Senior Consultant Neurologist,
Institute of Neurology, National Hospital
Dr. Ranjanie Gamage, Thamara is suffering
from 'complex partial seizures.' "Her MRI
scan has revealed that she is suffering from
Right Sided Hippocampal Sclerosis. She
suffers two to three fits per month," Dr.
Gamage said.
According to Dr. Gamage and Medical
Director, Asiri Surgical Hospital Ltd, Dr.
Tissa Wickramasuriya Thamara is on a lengthy
waiting list for epilepsy surgery at the
National Hospital. "But to effectively
perform this surgery neuro navigation
guidance is of vital importance. However
this facility is only available at Asiri
Surgical Hospital," the doctors explained.
Thamara's condition has now taken a turn for
the worse. She has two to three fits within
an hour on some days. "When the blood flow
gets blocked on the left side of my brain I
get a fit on my right side and when the
blood gets blocked on the right side of my
brain I get a fit on my left side. My head
turns to one side, my mouth gets crooked, my
eyes move upwards and my hands get numb when
I have a fit," Thamara said.
Only consolation
The only consolation for Thamara is that
Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon, Dr. Sunil
Perera has agreed to perform the necessary
surgery on Thamara at the earliest
opportunity.
"An operation of this nature without any
unforeseen complications is estimated to
cost around Rs 450,000 inclusive of hospital
and equipment charges and professional fees.
An operation of this nature done abroad
would cost five times this amount," Dr.
Perera explained.
Thamara who is now 47 years lives at 62/5,
Digana Road, Palenwatte, Pannipitiya. She is
in urgent need of funds to undergo the
operation at Asiri Surgical Hospital.
 A
tribute
We re-print an appreciation of the
extraordinarily versatile Premnath Moraes to
mark his 10th death anniversary. This
appreciation was written by the late Gamini
Fonseka.
PREMNATH MORAES
When I shook his hand for the first time
Forty five years ago
I perhaps shook the hands of ten or many
more
I was yet to know
that so many personalities
could be blended into a single mould.
On those extra broad shoulders
rested that handsome head
of a barrel-chested man
with a wasp-like waist
His features could have stirred envy
in the hearts of "stars" of his day.
Wrestler, weight-lifter, footballer,
Singer, lyricist, and actor
Many others were yet to emerge
Journalist, commentator, copy-writer
Film-maker with the added faculty
of a silver tongue, impeccable speaker
and linguist
Too much to believe
Too good for small countries
where small men relish
only small values
and deify men
of minor virtues.
He blew "The Last Whistle"
For his foot-baller friend
When "The Mahathma" was recalled
to the fold of his creator
his large heart cried
that proud heart
which never cried for itself.
In-between jobs
as he waited for another
and at times, was made
to wait too long
he never cried out for help
nor showed that he was in need
instead, he was quick to heed
another's need
Shaping a crude unpolished stone
to find its glitter
Milking the pearl
out of its smelly Oyster
where otherwise it would die
unvalued, undiscovered, unknown,
missed by the discerning eye.
Someone belatedly saw
the gem in him
and rightly
renamed him Prem.
I dared not gaze upon
that motionless body too long
nor join the final prayer
from the fringe of the crowd
that thronged around
his final abode
for fear that I might have shed
the tear I held back.
Had I let it pour
in the presence of the world
I would have deprived myself
of a precious private moment
I would want to hold selfishly
for myself.
I waited until
I returned home at dusk
In the semi-darkness
seated where we sat before,
He and I
shared the Scotch
recalling in silence
the stories of old
unknown to most others
who stood around him
at his last sunset.
Dear Pradeep, Rani, Rehani
forgive me
I stole that precious moment
from you.
- Gamini Fonseka
Sing-a-long with the Gypsies
 A
great musical evening for the entire family
will be held on Sunday, June 15 at the
Liberty Ballroom, Holiday Inn at 7 p.m.
"Sunil and the fabulous Gypsies with Ronnie
and special guest artist Mignonne will
enliven the show which will be hosted by
Clifford Richard. The price of the ticket is
inclusive of refreshments," said an
organiser of the event who went on to say
that tickets are available at the Holiday
Inn Cricket Shop, Dwellings and Universal
Jewellers. Tickets can also be obtained from
www.etickets.lk
Proceeds of this show will be directed
towards the maintenance and functioning of
the Muslim Ladies' Study Circle, Vocational
Training Centre at D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha,
Colombo 10. A part of the proceeds are also
to be donated to Ward No. 20 of the
Maharagama Cancer Hospital which is jointly
maintained by the Muslim Ladies' Study
Circle.
Gladys in Lanka for the 10th time!
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Gladys Daetwyler
with son Thomas |
A Swiss
national it seems just can't get enough of
Sri Lanka. Gladys Daetwyler who lives in
Switzerland recently completed her 10th
visit to the island.
She was born in 1924 on the island of
Guernsey - which forms part of the Channel
Islands. After World War II she left for
England and worked there for a couple of
years. In 1950 she went on a holiday to
Switzerland where she met her husband Werner
and got married shortly after. She has two
sons - George and Thomas. George is a
Supreme Court judge in the Canton of Zurich,
Switzerland and Thomas is CEO of A. Baur
and Co. Ltd. in Sri Lanka.
She enjoys staying in Sri Lanka with her son
and grandchildren.
When asked what in particular she liked
about Sri Lanka she said: "The people are
very friendly and hospitable. They go out of
their way to please me and I am very well
looked after here. The only thing I cannot
get used to is to eat the spicy curries. I
wish that peace and prosperity will come to
this beautiful island and that people will
be able to live in harmony. I am definitely
coming back again!" she said.
Smiling through the chaos
As the tired cliche goes, "Opposites
attract," I recently met two people who are
the embodiment of this. They are both
charming individually, but together they
complement each other, which is one of the
most important things in a relationship. I
was meeting them after seven years - we
hadn't met for a while although we keep in
touch.
So, she's small, dainty, and always talks in
a ladylike manner. She's sooo cool and
unruffled whatever the crisis, doesn't turn
a hair but calmly deals with any situation.
She could be in the midst of utter chaos,
but still manages to smile or laugh
charmingly through it all.
She is also one of the few people whose
sense of humour I appreciate. I wish I could
be like that, since I flare up at the
slightest provocation! Even whilst cooking,
she does it with the minimum of fuss and
bother, quietly and efficiently, and in next
to no time produces a noteworthy effort.
I don't know how she does it, but she
manages to look cool and dainty even whilst
cooking! She's always well dressed and
perfectly coordinated to suit the occasion.
The loveliest thing is that she's always
smiling.
One of her weaknesses is shopping! She is a
self-confessed shopoholic and always relates
the story how when the tsunami hit our
country her daughter, together with her
school friends and some parents, spotted her
in the Harrods queue during a sale!
Sale at Harrods!
They were collecting money as aid for the
victims. Spotting them, she tried to hide
behind people, but as luck would have it,
her daughter spotted her! She came up and
accusingly asked her what on earth she was
doing there. Her explanation didn't impress
her daughter. Sale at Harrods!
She then demanded a contribution towards
their cause, whilst the other kids and their
parents looked on disapprovingly! She felt
like a worm because it was for our country
and the British parents were helping the
kids, and there was she, a Sri Lankan,
shopping!
Horrors! Her weakness for the Mulberry line
earned her the nickname Silkworm from me.
She is extremely skilled in the art of
wheedling things out of her husband. Before
he knows it, he has agreed to buy her
something!
Her better half is totally the opposite -
utterly vociferous and volatile. He speaks
his mind to anyone at anytime. He is very
large and rather amiable, like a big,
friendly, bear. But his growls are almost
always kind and friendly. So I call him Yogi
Bear.
This time, the Silkworm informed me amidst
lots of giggles that his feminine side has
manifested itself at this stage of his life.
She told me to guess his latest hobby. I
hadn't a clue. "Horticulture and flower
arranging!" she told me with more giggles.
But he does have green fingers, judging by
the beautiful clusters of flowers prevalent
all over.
Landscaping the garden
I refused to believe that the row of potted
orchids were natural flowers until I touched
them. They flourished, indecently enormous
and in large clusters. Then she showed me
the table centre he had done in their living
room, also using flowers. Spectacular!
One day when I was there, she came up to me
laughing, saying he was now landscaping
their garden! He had started on a crazy
paving and had planned out various
improvements in the garden. I don't think he
was amused when we fell over laughing. He's
a very good cook and helps around the house
even though he's doing a very demanding job
in the financial sector. A totally likeable
and charming character!
He plans each day out with care, be it on
holiday or an ordinary day. The standing
joke is how on one holiday she forgot The
Plan document and there was major upheaval!
She said maybe she deliberately forgot it,
since she wanted to take things as they
came!
Anyway, like the magnetic principle, north
doesn't attract north but south, similarly,
I think people tend to admire certain traits
in others they would like to see in
themselves. Thought process plays a big part
too, since if two people had totally
different viewpoints on everything they
would clash.
So although they may be soul mates, their
characters might be different. One balances
out what is lacking in the other, thus
complementing each other. Of course there
has to be chemistry, but basically I think
intrinsic goodness and kindness play a big
role, as well as having some interests in
common. So, different is sometimes good!
- Honky Tonk Woman
 It's
a big mistake to want a smart cat
You could say I didn't know what I was
getting into. But I don't think that that is
a valid excuse after a lifetime of
experience.
Sure, it's really lovely to have a cat that
seems to know just when to come, curl up
next to you and be of therapeutic benefit.
It's great to have a cat that seems to get
the hang of exactly where to go to do what
and when which is invaluable when we are
talking about litter trays on 19th century
floorboards. But then there is the flip
side.
When I wake up these days, whatever time of
day it may be, my legs are cramped. I now
sleep in the foetal position constantly,
unable to stretch out because the lower half
of my bed consists of mainly cat. Stretched
out like a log cat or curled up in a ball
cat, it doesn't matter - in either position
she is extremely difficult to shove off the
bed.
Up to mischief
That's assuming I get a good night's sleep.
More often than not, she does allow me to
stretch out for a few minutes at a time but
this is when she wanders off to get up to
mischief. I woke up the other night because
I heard a thud from the kitchen. The
flatmate has homemade muesli for breakfast
and had left a jar of honey out on the
counter. The cat had knocked it over onto
the floor and then managed to pop the metal
lid off the plastic jar by biting down on
the plastic to create enough pressure.
When I got to the kitchen there was a pool
of honey an inch deep on the heritage listed
floorboards. And it was hardening fast in
the chilly air. It took several minutes
scraping it off gently with a cheese slice
like peeler and my bare hands, and then a
lot of vinegar and sodium bicarbonate to get
it off. My flatmate is going to attempt to
wash the floorboards to make sure there
isn't any residue left.
My flatmate has stories as well. Stories of
how the cat climbs on top of the person who
usually feeds her (i.e. the flatmate) and
purrs incessantly as loud as a steam engine
till she gets breakfast. This can start as
early as 6 a.m. - not a good thing when
winter is around the corner. If breakfast
doesn't come soon enough and she gets
impatient she starts with plaintive yowling
every five minutes or so. Eventually you end
up getting up to feed her.
Recreation is also now an extreme sport. Not
only does a game of scrabble test your
vocabulary and your anagrammatic skills, it
now tests your reflexes. The cat loves to
jump on top of the board while you play and
scatter the pieces everywhere. She also
likes to use them as personal pawns - one
swipe of the paw and you have lost the
letter 'K' under the bed somewhere. She
seems to be very pleased with this sort of
action - I can only assume that she takes
great pride in the consternation and
annoyance it causes us.
Preferences
The things she eats are amazing too. Past
cats have known to eat anything and
everything without any particular
preference. She however has tastes, likes
and dislikes. Make a sandwich and she is
ever alert, ready to snatch the entire
sandwich, whatever the filling out of your
hand or your mouth. She doesn't care what's
in it - all she wants is the bread.
She is hooked on bread. Her previous owner
warned me about this but I didn't realise
how serious she was till the flatmate
informed me that one whole loaf of sliced
bread had to be tossed out because the cat
had bitten through the plastic wrapping and
nibbled on what she could reach of almost
every slice through the hole she had
created.
Bitten through
It wasn't the first time that she had bitten
through something. She bit through an
aluminium foil packet of dry, cat food
biscuits and we had to rescue the remainder
before she gorged herself and decant it into
two glass jars. She would then look at the
jars as if trying to determine how to get
those open. We were smart enough to leave
the jars on the floor, else she would have
knocked them off the counter to get them to
break open to get at the food.
It reminds of me something I once read. A
theory that because humans have a mind we
are able to create a little bit of our kind
of mind in other creatures. There is a story
about a mantis shrimp who as all mantis
shrimps like to do built tunnels like crazy.
His owner was a scientist and his students
started to play with the shrimp and noticed
that he could solve puzzles. If they gave
him his food in a box for instance, he would
figure out how to open the box and get at
the food.
They continued creating new puzzles for him
to solve and then one day just fed him by
tossing the food into his tank. He took one
look at it and went back inside his tunnel -
it seemed that if he couldn't be given a
puzzle to solve first, he was no longer
interested.
And so when I watch or hear the cat get up
to her shenanigans I am reminded of the old
school adventure games I used to play on the
computer. The ones with storylines and
puzzles of all sorts - logic, word games,
etc. - that I believe helped me to think in
different ways about things. I don't think I
would have certain skills if I hadn't been
introduced to something that required me to
think that way.
So our environment then plays a role in the
way we think and how we think. If we aren't
put into certain situations we do not
develop the skills required to get through
those situations at that point because there
is no necessity for them. For humans, not
being in one situation doesn't necessarily
mean missing out on a skill.
In fact, life is an adventure game, albeit
without the option to save your game.
But here's what I am trying to say. Maybe
the mere fact that we have domesticated some
species has led to the potential of the
development not of the kind of mind that
relates to instinct and so on as they
already have but to the kind of mind or
skills that solves different problems. My
cat moved from one house to another. This
means she has had to learn to recognise me
and my flatmate as part of her new family or
people she is dependent on.
That recognition and bonding with another
species as well as the interaction is not
something you'd get from a wild animal. If
you ever see newborn kittens, you'd see that
they are instinctively afraid of you. In
fact, while they are still blind you have to
get them used to your smell by touching
them.
New environment
My cat also had to recognise her new
environment. She stayed away from us for
awhile and just spent time climbing on
things and knocking over things, etc. You
need to give her a reason to be nice to you.
And you can see her thinking - see the
thought process happening. There is bread in
the bag - I want it - I can't get at it -
this is that stuff that's easy to bite
through (thin plastic wrapper) - I will bite
through it - I can't put my mouth in - I'll
use my paw to pull at the hole - the hole is
big enough for me to eat through now - I
have bread - I am happy.
If that isn't logically solving a puzzle
based on some prior knowledge and what has
been derived from the current situation,
what is?
Another example: she now knows how to open
doors. She has watched my bedroom door and
has figured out that (a) it's openable even
when it is supposedly shut (the catch
doesn't - well, catch properly), (b) it
moves in a certain direction to open and (c)
it has a little space between the door and
the doorframe when it is shut. So when she
wants to come in, she will wedge her paw in
the space and push in the right direction
till the door opens.
She's even noticed that the handle on the
screen door has to be pushed down to open
the door. I found her clinging on with three
paws to the screen mesh and one paw trying
to work the handle. My cat is smart and it's
frankly terrifying to think of what she will
come up with next. She watches you do
everything.
Of course some puzzles are easier than
others. My flatmate left a bag of sultanas
out and the cat was inside within a minute
munching away on them. It's a good thing she
has enough sense to know that chocolate is
poisonous or she'd be swiping all of mine.
Smart
But better a cat like her that I can be
proud of for being smart. I love cats
because they have personalities like this
one does. Just as we have to develop and use
our minds to navigate through our own
society - we created our society for us, not
for them. Avoiding traffic, finding food and
shelter, staying out of danger - these are
all problems they encounter in our society.
They are puzzles to us and to them.
Some of these were issues in the wild or
their natural habitat but now it's as if
they are playing on a different level all
together. Things have to be done differently
to satisfy the same needs by using the same
sort of skills but in a different way
because the playing field is different.
- Marisa Wikramanayake
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