Sri Lanka: Long Term Medical Support and Growth Hormone Treatment for Children

Long-Term Medical Support for Children, Q1 2015

April 30, 2015

Stephney Minerva Fernando

Summary of Activities
  • Organized and held 3 monthly meetings for the months of January, February, and March 2015
  • Collected information from the children about their treatment and progress at the monthly meetings
  • Provided travel expenses and nutritious food packages for the children and their families
  • Gave each of the 5 children a food parcel, worth Rs. 2,199/= each. The food parcels were distributed by Mr. Nishantha Sandakelum and Mrs. Stephney Minerva Fernando for the months of January, February, and March 2015.

Project Goal

Provide long-term medical support and treatment to children suffering from congenital health conditions affecting growth hormone production and cholesterol modulation.

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Results &

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Minerva records Gayan's Information

Medical Services Provided

Highest Level of Professionalism

  • Issuing medication
  • Safely storing the delivered vials of growth hormone (GH) from Baurs Company
  • Documenting the issued vials and recording the progress of the children’s height and weight by the medical authority at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle, Sri Lanka, under the supervision of Professor Sujeewa, Senior Consultant Pediatrician of Karapitiya Teaching Hospital.
Some of the food items to be distributed to the children

Long-Term Medical Support

Continuity of Care

Continued long-term medical support for these 5 children through monthly meetings, therapy, provision of food parcels, and any additionally required monitoring or treatment.

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More

Photos

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Numbers

Served

5 patients with congenital health conditions affecting growth hormone production and cholesterol modulation.

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Success

Stories

Madumekala stands tall Madumekala and her sister with the food parcel

Madumekala Ubeywarna

January-March 2015

  • Madumekala is a 21-year-old young woman. She came to the meeting with her mother. She received 4 vials of growth hormone (GH) for the months of January through March.
  • Madumekala is continuing sex hormone medication: Climen, 1 tablet daily.
  • As Professor Sujeewa instructed, Madumekala’s growth hormone therapy was increased again from 12 clicks to 14 clicks. We plan to meet with Professor Sujeewa to get his decision about Madumekala continuing therapy, as there was no progress in her height during the last few months.
  • Madumekala’s auto click machine was out of order in January, and it was replaced with a new machine from the Baurs Company. Madumekala went to the clinic at Karapitiya to check her weight, but there was no progress.
Fazeer stands tall Fazeer with his food parcel

Fazeer Ahamed

January-March 2015

  • Fazeer arrived a little late to the January 2015 meeting. He did not obtain the vials of growth hormone therapy for the month of January, as the stocks were overdrawn at the end of the month. His dosage is 10 clicks at night, daily. For the month of January, Fazeer was given the food parcel.
  • Fazeer did not come to the February or March 2015 monthly meetings. Instead, his aunt, Mrs. Rifaya from Dickwella, attended the meetings on Fazeer’s behalf with all his information. She received 4 vials of growth (GH) hormone therapy for Fazeer, for the months of February and March.
  • Fazeer is now in grade 13, and he attends Wayamba Royal College in Kurunegala, where he lives while continuing his studies. Economics, information technology, and accounting are the subjects he is studying in the Advanced Level, and he will be sitting for the examination in the year 2016.
  • For the convenience of his studies, Mr. Nishantha Sandakelum and Mrs. Stephney Minerva Fernando decided to allow Fazeer’s mother to attend the monthly meetings with all of Fazeer’s information. This decision was made at the monthly meeting in January 2015, and Fazeer was very happy and thankful to us.
Madura stands tall Madura and his mother

Madura Madushanka

January-March 2015

  • Madura received 4 vials of growth hormone for the months of January through March. He did not check his height during this time period.
  • Madura did not come to the meetings, but his mother brought him to meet with Mrs. Stephney Minerva Fernando later, and we took photos with him. Madura had recovered from the operation on his kneecap, which was damaged due to an accident.
  • Madura has started to attend school and private classes. His mother is very much concerned with his progress, and the medical authorities at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital are very satisfied with her.
Gayan with the rug that he made Gayan with his food parcel

Gayan Madushanka

January-March 2015

  • For the months of January and February, Gayan’s parents received 4 vials of growth hormone (GH) for him, and Gayan visited the clinic at Karapitiya to check his progress. In March, Gayan’s parents received 2 vials of growth hormone (GH) for him.
  • Gayan’s dosage of growth hormone therapy is 10 clicks each night. An injection of Testoviron was administered. No complaints, and his bone age is 15 years.
  • Gayan had started to attend school again, and he is very happy about the school. Gayan is a developmentally delayed child, and this school provides education for such children.
  • This school term, Gayan came up with creative activities, and he finished making the rag rug. He sold it and earned some money too.
Tharindu stands tall Tharindu with his food parcel

Tharindu Hasanga

January-March 2015

  • Tharindu’s increased medication had to continue. He will need to visit the Karapitiya clinic with his new blood profile after 6 months. Senior Medical Consultant, Dr. Arosha, had instructed Tharindu to do more exercises to decrease his weight. Tharindu’s weight is 75 kilos.
  • Professor Sujeewa Amarasinghe, the senior pediatrician at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle, Sri Lanka, had referred Tharindu to Dr. Arosha. Tharindu takes Rosuvastatin (40 mg) and Ezetimibe (10 mg) each night.
  • He also receives a food parcel with more grains and a packet of fat-free milk powder. Tharindu could not attend the meeting in February, as he had hurt his ankle and could not walk. His wife informed us of his injury, and she came to the meeting with all his information.