What does the future hold, who can tell?

A journey in hope, hope for a miracle...?:

by Rosanne Koelmeyer Anderson

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Call it fate, destiny, whatever you may... it was just a matter of two to three minutes, and her entire life was changed; her dreams were simply shattered, from a glorious past to the grim future at the Accident Service of Ward 73 of the National Hospital Sri Lanka for twenty five year old third year medical student Govinnage Don Samitha Samanmalee who suffered a Spinal Cord Crush Injury at the BMICH on February 15 yet zealously looking forward to sitting for her examination ten weeks from now.

What courage and determination. The battle of survival and recovery has already been won.

Although yet even unable to be mobilized on a wheelchair Shamitha is optimistic about her future and realizing her dream, against all odds.

In the forthcoming weeks she is resolute about commencing studying for the examination while her very dear colleagues who are yet devastated and aware of the repercussions of the injury are contemplating and exploring all possibilities as to how best they could raise funds to rehabilitate their dear comrade or try to reverse the almost irreversible situation as the frequently asked question by Samitha "I will walk, won't I" keep haunting their mind and time seems the only avenger.

Amidst the melancholic yearning for Samitha's speedy recovery among the Medical Faculty students, Samitha continues to talk; she is conscious and her brain is functioning very well and the witty diligent medical student has not lost her charisma her colleagues say.

Her enduring spirit of hope is incredible and this is great at a time when everyone around her is skeptical about her future which brings to mind a quote by Samuel Johnson, "If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair.

Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance". Yes, her perseverance to accomplish her dream, to take the Hippocratic Oath sooner or later is her only aspiration: May there be a ray of hope and a silver lining to every cloud that now encircles her life.

Presently, an account has been opened at the Bank Of Ceylon, Regent Street Branch bearing account number 7620252 by the Student Rehabilitation Fund for Samitha's rehabilitation process which would require her to be taken overseas for a while as well as for further surgery procedures.

This would cost approximately 20 million rupees and we will not give up on exploring every possibility that could make life even slightly easier for our zealous colleague who believes that the battle is still not lost, her batch mates say.

For further information contacts could be made with three of the student coordinators Aravindra Kamaladasa on 0773017183, Indunil Piyadigama on 0773420260 or Dilan Seneviratne Epa on 0776075667. Samitha , a past pupil of Gothami Balika Vidyalaya in Colombo had lost her father when she was a Year 5 student and lived with her ailing mother until she entered the Colombo Medical Faculty.

It was her older sister the breadwinner of the family, a mother of two little children, who strives hard to keep the home fires burning, Samitha's batchmates revealed . The generosity of the public towards this worthy cause would be much appreciated.

The doctors in Sri Lanka who attended to Samitha have done their best and performed surgery to stabilize her spine and we are very grateful to the team of doctors comprising Consultant Neurosurgeons Dr. Sunil Perera and Dr. Himashi Kularatne, Consultant Orthopaedic surgeons Dr. Narendra Pinto and Dr G.L. Punchihewa and Dr. (Mrs) Rohini Ranwala, Consultant Anaesthetist her batch mates and Medical Faculty students say but we want to give her the best possible and proper long term rehabilitation which is very important.

'It is unfortunate that this catastrophe and spinal injury has caused paralysis below chest level'.

The spinal cord is said to have divided in two and as neurological tissues do not regenerate the hope of tissue repair is dim.

Even if Samitha is able to use a wheelchair there would still be practical difficulties if she wishes to pursue her medical degree as there are no facilities for the differently able in the Medical Faculty.

She will also have to be found suitable accommodation in close proximity to the university and she will require the services of a permanent caretaker which will in any event have to be taken care of," a group of Medical Faculty students expressed with overwhelming emotion.

"t present we take turns to be with Samitha at the Neuro Surgical Intensive Care Unit (NSICU) and anxiously browse the internet to find a link that may bring a ray of hope to the dreadful plight Samitha is in today and turn back the pages of time in her life."

On the fateful day in question which happened to be the day prior to her birthday, Samitha along with other groups of medical students had headed for the BMICH to make arrangements on the stall set up for their forthcoming medical exhibition to be held in March when the huge iron poles holding up a tent where 50-60 cars were parked where Samitha and three others had stood for shelter for a few moments crashed to the floor causing damage to the vehicles as well as Samitha who had not been able to run out fast enough.

The three colleagues who barely managed to get out of the tent with a quiver described what actually happened on that fateful day; a day which may have changed even their hopes and dreams and life forever.