The 20-year old Ms Krishnakumar Kajenthini from Eralai, Kadduwan in Jaffna who virtually resurrected from the dead, reminds us of Longfellow’s ‘Psalm of Life’ adage, ‘Life is Real ! Life is Earnest-And the Grave is Not its Goal’ as she, together with her beloved mother, returned home to a tumultuous welcome after a miraculous escape from death, thanks to timely and prompt action of the Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna (SFHQ-J).
To put it short, Ms Krishnakumar Kajenthini, badly ill was counting only days for life when a team of cardiologists and physicians who came to Jaffna for conduct of a medical camp on March 18, 2012 at the request of the 511 Brigade at Atchelu, spotted Kajenthini and diagnosed her as having a severe cardiac valve obstruction in her heart, and recommended an immediate surgery on her if it were to save her life.
Her grief-stricken and desperate mother approached the nearest 511 Brigade Commander, Colonel Wijendra Gunatillake at Achelu, Jaffna for relief and pleaded help for the cost of her surgery in Colombo. Touched very much by her plight who herself is a resident in his Brigade area, the Brigade without any further delay, launched the public awareness campaign, ‘Save Kajenthini’ which was subsequently spotted by a Jaffna born philanthropist, Mr Kirubananthan, an engineer by profession who volunteered to donate Rs 4 lakhs as this innocent girl’s cost of the surgery, considering her dire need for financial help.
In the meantime, the very team of visiting doctors of the Asiri Heart Care Centre who diagnosed the girl during a mobile medical clinic earlier in March, in response to the Army’s exemplary gestures, decided to dispense with all professional surgery charges and wave off all hospital bills, except for purchase of two stents, required for the surgery.
511 Brigade alerted the SFHQ-J immediately on the status-quo and requested Jaffna Commander’s speedy action to get the patient, accompanied by her mother airlifted to Narahenpita Asiri Hospital at the earliest on medical advice since her days are almost numbered without surgery.
She was flown to Colombo, together with her mother from Palali to Colombo on March 27 thanks to Jaffna Commander’s initiatives and another group of soldiers rose to the need and donated B + positive group blood before, during and after the surgery while another team of soldiers took care of her family at Eralalai until the return of the mother and the sister home after surgery in Colombo.
Everything went very well at the Asiri Heart Centre as planned and she was brought to the ICU on Friday (March 30) after her 6-hour long surgery. Under the close supervision of medical experts, she enjoyed a marvelous recovery within a few weeks and was to return home two days ago.
Smiling Kajenthini, together with her loving mother, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Asiri Hospital Dr Vivek Guptha who conducted the surgery, Mr Kirubananthan who generously donated Rs. 400,000/= to buy stents and Dr Anil Perera, Clinical Director at Asiri Heart Care Centre, who arrived all the way from Colombo to attend a rousing welcome organized for them upon her return to Jaffna, were welcomed at the Civil Affairs and Public Relations Office, Jaffna.
Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, Commander Security Forces Headquarters, Jaffna as the Chief Guest at the ‘Welcome Kajenthini’ reception reminded that the Army troops are now fully committed to raise the living standards of the Jaffna populace all the time and this is just one of many such instances.
Dr Vivek Guptha, Dr Anil Perera of Asiri Heart Care Centre, and Dr Ketheshwaran, Jaffna’s Regional Director of Health Services were full of praise to the Army for their timely and meticulously organized medical surgery, facilitated enthusiastically by the SFHQ-J during the reception where they spoke out their minds. The reception saw re-born Kajenthini was garlanded by members of the public as they were conducted to the welcome ceremony in a brief procession from Wembady junction.
Relatives, well-wishers, senior citizens, local councilors, members of the clergy, administrators and a large gathering attended the ‘Welcome Kajenthini’ reception.
To put it short, Ms Krishnakumar Kajenthini, badly ill was counting only days for life when a team of cardiologists and physicians who came to Jaffna for conduct of a medical camp on March 18, 2012 at the request of the 511 Brigade at Atchelu, spotted Kajenthini and diagnosed her as having a severe cardiac valve obstruction in her heart, and recommended an immediate surgery on her if it were to save her life.
Her grief-stricken and desperate mother approached the nearest 511 Brigade Commander, Colonel Wijendra Gunatillake at Achelu, Jaffna for relief and pleaded help for the cost of her surgery in Colombo. Touched very much by her plight who herself is a resident in his Brigade area, the Brigade without any further delay, launched the public awareness campaign, ‘Save Kajenthini’ which was subsequently spotted by a Jaffna born philanthropist, Mr Kirubananthan, an engineer by profession who volunteered to donate Rs 4 lakhs as this innocent girl’s cost of the surgery, considering her dire need for financial help.
In the meantime, the very team of visiting doctors of the Asiri Heart Care Centre who diagnosed the girl during a mobile medical clinic earlier in March, in response to the Army’s exemplary gestures, decided to dispense with all professional surgery charges and wave off all hospital bills, except for purchase of two stents, required for the surgery.
511 Brigade alerted the SFHQ-J immediately on the status-quo and requested Jaffna Commander’s speedy action to get the patient, accompanied by her mother airlifted to Narahenpita Asiri Hospital at the earliest on medical advice since her days are almost numbered without surgery.
She was flown to Colombo, together with her mother from Palali to Colombo on March 27 thanks to Jaffna Commander’s initiatives and another group of soldiers rose to the need and donated B + positive group blood before, during and after the surgery while another team of soldiers took care of her family at Eralalai until the return of the mother and the sister home after surgery in Colombo.
Everything went very well at the Asiri Heart Centre as planned and she was brought to the ICU on Friday (March 30) after her 6-hour long surgery. Under the close supervision of medical experts, she enjoyed a marvelous recovery within a few weeks and was to return home two days ago.
Smiling Kajenthini, together with her loving mother, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Asiri Hospital Dr Vivek Guptha who conducted the surgery, Mr Kirubananthan who generously donated Rs. 400,000/= to buy stents and Dr Anil Perera, Clinical Director at Asiri Heart Care Centre, who arrived all the way from Colombo to attend a rousing welcome organized for them upon her return to Jaffna, were welcomed at the Civil Affairs and Public Relations Office, Jaffna.
Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, Commander Security Forces Headquarters, Jaffna as the Chief Guest at the ‘Welcome Kajenthini’ reception reminded that the Army troops are now fully committed to raise the living standards of the Jaffna populace all the time and this is just one of many such instances.
Dr Vivek Guptha, Dr Anil Perera of Asiri Heart Care Centre, and Dr Ketheshwaran, Jaffna’s Regional Director of Health Services were full of praise to the Army for their timely and meticulously organized medical surgery, facilitated enthusiastically by the SFHQ-J during the reception where they spoke out their minds. The reception saw re-born Kajenthini was garlanded by members of the public as they were conducted to the welcome ceremony in a brief procession from Wembady junction.
Relatives, well-wishers, senior citizens, local councilors, members of the clergy, administrators and a large gathering attended the ‘Welcome Kajenthini’ reception.
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