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ATNI Photo Album Photos of Jigme

Send donations for Jigme: ATNI, P O Box7111, Boulder, CO 80306

Jigme Completes Spinal Surgery

Lea Wyler and Akong Rinpoche were visiting Rokpa sponsored charitable projects in Tibet last year when they came upon a boy in a poor village in Eastern Tibet who is suffering from a debilitating spinal problem. We work closely with Rokpa and it is upon their request and due to the hopelessness and poverty of this boy's situation that we agreed to bring Jigme Yong-Song to the USA for life-saving surgery.

Jigme is a bright boy who is perhaps 11 years old, quite small for his age. He has been teased and tormented by other children due to his deformed back. Jigme has a severe form of scoliosis/kyphosis and without an operation would not be expected to live more that a few years. As his body is growing, his spine is growing in such a way, that it will eventually crush his heart and lungs.

In December, Jigme had successful surgery on his spine at The Medical Center of Aurora, 1501 So. Potomac, Aurora, CO. The team of doctors lead by Dr. John Odom completed 10 hours of surgery in two sessions. The first half includes operating from the front and removing the discs in between each vertebra in the thoracic area of his spine. The second part includes removing the spinal processes, taking out parts of his ribs, partially straightening out his spine, installing metal rods and then re-introducing the disc and bone material that was removed by putting it back in-between the vertebra. This loose material will, over the following year, fuse solidly into his spinal column.

Many of you have expressed interest in helping Jigme through this very difficult period. This can be done in with financial contributions to help with all costs, and of course to help the next child in need..

Daily Camera article on second surgeryClick here for Denver Channel 9 TV

 

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