Let me tell you a story...

It's a story of a 14 year old girl whose chances of having a normal life are slipping away day by day...

Her name is Ridmi Nishadi Thilakasiri and, despite the many challenges she has faced from birth, she was still a normal, happy child.

Ridmi is the eldest of 3 children and lives with her parents in a small village in Sri Lanka named Mahagalkadawela (a place so small Google doesn't even have it in their Google Maps).

Ridmi is a very bright child from a very poor family whose life has been one of continuous struggle and extreme poverty.

Her father earned a living by working long hard hours for local farmers and Chena cultivators (these are really poor farmers) but is now out of work.

As If That Wasn't Bad Enough

At the age of 11, Ridmi started having difficulty just walking, running and doing simple activities she had easily done before.

Unfortunately for her, there wasn't proper medical attention available to her and, of course, her family couldn't afford it even if it was available.

Things got worse as she got older making it more and more difficult for her to function normally.

One of the bright spots in Ridmi's life has always been going to school (she has a quick mind and loves to learn); but now even that is being threatened.

But she's absolutely determined to continue her schooling for as long as she possibly can. Today, she can still be seen struggling to ride her old, worn out bicycle to school, even though her disease makes this very slow and arduous for her.

That is the spirit and "can do" attitude found in this spunky girl!

And the people in her village are always moved to see her swaying from side to side as she makes her way to school.

Ridmi's Diagnosis

In September 2009 , Dr. Vasantha Perera, one of Sri Lanka's top Orthopedic surgeons, who's affiliated with the National Hospital in Sri Lanka, gave Ridmi a thorough examination and diagnosed her with a severe case of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS)

Scoliosis is a complex, three-dimensional disease and Ridmi's spine has been growing with badly abnormal curves (think of your spine being very wavy instead of straight).

This causes the vertebrae to rotate which results in severe deformity and, in bad cases like Ridmi's, besides the inability to walk or function well, if at all, it may cause her lung and heart functions to be compromised.

In developed countries, and for children of wealthy parents, this is a very treatable disease. They can grow up to lead lives that are no different than yours and mine. In fact, 2007 NCAA golf champion and a 2009 rookie on the LPGA golf tour, Stacy Lewis, is a successful Scoliosis patient.

For the unfortunate poor, however, if untreated, the best anyone can hope for is a painful, lonely and dependent life.

Without help, this is what Ridmi has to look forward to.

Unfortunately, due to her circumstances, she is seeing the doctors long after her condition would have been more easily treated and, in fact, her condition is getting worse day by day.

The doctors say Ridmi's operation has to be done IMMEDIATELY or they will not be able to give her back a normal life.

If she doesn't have the surgery as soon as possible, Ridmi back and body will become more and more deformed (along with all the other problems that come with that), and she will soon be forced to drop out of her beloved school completely.

At that point, what chances do a young, very poor and uneducated girl with a severe deformity and failing health have. Think about it.

Things could be different though, here's how...

Raising Funds for Ridmi's surgery

Although the Surgeon is not charging a fee, Ridmi's family must still raise enough money to cover the cost of the spinal implants which have to be purchased from the US (medtronic Sofamor Danek Inc). The spinal implants would cost about 650,000 Sri Lankan Rupees which is approx. US$5,600 or 3,800 Euros.

To come up with this amount of money is an IMPOSSIBLE TASK for her family. They probably won't even earn that much in their entire lifetime.

Ridmi's village and beloved schoolmates have scraped together all they were able to.

Some were able to give her 50 Sri Lankan Rupees, about 43 cents (US), which is an amount they can ill-afford. That gives us perspective, doesn't it?

And, with her father now out of work, Ridmi's family is struggling just to scrape together enough to put some food on the table.

How you can Help

You can make a donation in any of 4 ways:

1. The Best and Easiest Way

Make an immediate donation with your credit card or PayPal account now. 100% of your donation will go directly to Ridmi's medical expenses.

ANY contribution towards Ridmi's surgery and recovery will be greatly appreciated; EVEN a $10 donation will make a difference. If you desire, and make your contact information available, Ridmi will send you a personal thank you note after she recovers.

If you would like further details or information, please contact: