Wednesday, July 17, 2013

A TALE OF KINDNESS


Visualizza Mappa porti e approdi di Sicilia/Ports and harbours of the Sicily map in una mappa di dimensioni maggiori


From yesterday's sorry tale of Italy at its worst to a story that shows the country at its best. I'm particularly happy to be able to tell you that this is happening in Sicily:

On Friday afternoon a 13-year-old Somali boy landed at Portopalo [Siracusa Province] from a migrant boat. He was alone, confused and very frightened. The right side of his face was disfigured, he had lost an eye and his jawbone had been crushed by a shell which had exploded in his face in an ambush in which his father was killed.

The boy was immediately airlifted to the Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania. There, he has won the hearts of all who work in the Paediatrics Department and staff have been buying him clothes and necessities with their own money. He is currently undergoing treatment with antibiotics but needs an initial operation to reconstruct the right side of his face. As he is a minor with no one to give permission for him to have surgery, a local court will shortly appoint a guardian. A scan has revealed that a shell splinter remains in the boy's cranium and doctors are evaluating the possiblities of removing this. He will also need reconstructive surgery on his jaw.

Cultural mediators have been brought in to help the boy communicate and he is said to be happily watching television and playing games with other young patients. Nothing is yet known of the boy's journey as those treating and helping him believe he is still too traumatised to be asked about it.

This poor boy must have suffered unimaginable horrors and I know you will all join me in wishing him well. The island of Sicily has once again demonstrated its capacity for kindness and for taking a stranger to its great heart.


14 comments:

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Totally agree , such kindness being shown .. :-)

Trubes said...

Poor child Pat,
how wonderful of all those involved in trying to help him, heaven knows what he has experienced in his short life.
I wish him a speedy recovery.

Di... love to you and dear Simi, hello....purr Chloe purr xxx
She's pooped with this heat wave we are enduring...D.x

Liz Hinds said...

I do too wish him well and pray his recovery will lead him to a new life in the country that has taken him to their hearts.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

I hope so too, Liz.

Lee said...

The poor little bugger! Let's hope from this time forward his life just gets better and better.

Kudos to those who are helping him along the road to recovery and to his future...a much brighter future.

Congratulations to the people of Sicily!

RNSANE said...

Pat, this is such a touching, heartwarming story. Poor guy, how terrified he must have been, making that journey to a new country. It speaks so well of Sicily to welcome him with such love and empathy. He will need so much support in the long road he must undergo. Keep us updated.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Lee. Yes, poor soul indeed. I share your hopes for him. Hi, Carmen. Yes, he must have been terrified. I will try to keep you all updated.

Unknown said...

Brings tears to my eyes on many levels. Thank you dear Pat for sharing.

xox
Constance

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Constance. Yes, thinking of him makes me cry too. x

Unknown said...

Well done to the boy for making it that far!
Well done to those who accept him as a human being, and not as a "refugee" or even an "illegal immigrant"!

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Absolutely agree, Unknown.

Whispering Walls said...

Best wishes to him!

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

I echo that, WW.

Sean Jeating said...

It's always "so very touching" when one in tens of thousands examples makes it into the news, isn't it?

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