Young tsunami survivors find new start at shriners hospitals

When the Indian Ocean tsunami crashed ashore on December 26, 2004, many things were lost. Homes were swept away, belongings gone forever. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives in the disaster. And many of those who survived, including children, literally lost a part of themselves.

Seven-year-old Tara Aulia and 11-year-old Hamdani survived the tsunami that ripped through their villages in Indonesia's Aceh province, but along with their homes and family members, both children lost a limb.

Despite the horrors Tara and Hamdani experienced and the steep odds they faced at obtaining proper medical care, they had reason to celebrate less than a year later. Both children were given a new start and new prosthetics at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Philadelphia.

Tara, whose right leg had to be amputated when it became infected from an injury sustained during the tsunami, immediately adjusted to her prosthesis.

"It's wonderful to see a child adapt as well as she has so quickly," said Jeff Eichhorn, director of orthotics and prosthetics at the Philadelphia hospital. "She will be able to do anything."

Hamdani was playing soccer when the tsunami swept him away. He grabbed onto a boat, and as he clung for his life with his left arm, an uprooted tree surged past, severing his right arm above the elbow.

Tara and Hamdani came to the Philadelphia hospital through the Global Medical Relief Fund, a charitable organization that provides transportation to the United States and housing to children injured by war, natural disaster or illness.

With the help of Shriners Hospitals, which, as always, provided all services at no charge to the children or their families, Tara and Hamdani have been given a new start.

"Without this help, I don't know what she would do, how she would live," said Tara's father, Sulaiman Aulia.

Is it painful getting your body pierced

As the old saying goes, “no pain, no gain.” The same is true when it comes to body piercing, as many parts of the body are a little more than uncomfortable when the needle penetrates the skin. As distasteful as it may be, a piercing is nothing more than a puncture wound with a piece of jewelry inserted into the hole. Many individuals would seriously consider body piercing, but the potential for pain is too much for the weak of heart. In most instances, the pain associated with the actual piercing is not nearly as extreme as believed.

The best way to determine the amount of pain associated with a specific type of body piercing is to ask someone who has experienced the pain firsthand. This is also an excellent way to determine if you really want to have that specific part of your body pierced, since a pierced individual will be able to inform you of any complications, infection, or problems he or she has experienced with the body piercing.

Another way to determine the amount of pain associated with a body piercing is to speak with a piercer. These individuals who pierce a variety of body parts for a living are usually able to walk you through the entire process from cleaning the needle to the healing process.

Generally, tongue piercings are generally thought to be the most painful, but in actuality, many believe the belly button to be the most painful area to be pierced. The tongue has a tremendous healing capacity, allowing it to quickly bounce back from any sort of trauma. Generally, tongue piercing is most associated with swelling, but little bleeding or pain. Belly buttons tend to have the greatest problems associated with piercing since the belly button takes an extremely long time to heal. Often, the belly button can take up to one year to heal completely, and is often prolonged due to the position on the body. Jewelry is likely to become snagged on clothing, therefore irritating the wound further.

Most piercers use a type of cooling spray or numbing lotion that will temporarily freeze the area and prevent pain. Ask the piercing parlor where you intend to have your piercing done to see if this is an option. Also, many piercers use well practiced techniques to lessen the pain as much as possible.

If you are concerned about the pain, bring a friend or companion to accompany you on your piercing adventure. Be sure to avoid taking any medications or alcohol before you visit a piercer, since piercers will not allow you into their salon if they believe you to be under the influence of any potential medications.

Have too much give it to charity

Every person I know has a house filled with many things. Go into your bedroom and look in your closet. I am quite sure that you do not wear all of the clothes you see (although congratulations if you do!). And I am equally sure that you do not really need all ten pairs of similar black dress shoes. Or take a glance at your recreation gear in the garage. When is the last time you actually used those cross-country skis? There is a solution - a great solution - to downsize your life and do something great for your community at the same time. Give to charity. There are a variety of suitable organizations who would be glad to take your excess possessions of your hands.

Deciding to give to charity is a perfect way to accomplish many good things all at once. Obviously, giving to charity is a great way to help those in need. You may have many extra pairs of pants, but it is quite likely that many people in your town struggle to afford owning more than one or two pairs at once. You might be shocked if you knew all of the common, every day needs people live with each day. Out of your excess you can help the increase the quality of life for others. What an amazing thing to be a part of.

Giving to charity is not only great for those who receive the items, it is also great for those who give. That is right. Giving will fast become something you treasure. Nothing feels better than practicing generosity, and you will quickly find that you will look for ways to simplify your life in order to bless others. Giving to charity will also give you the chance to simplify your overcomplicated life. As years go by people tend to gather more things than they can use at once. Just think back to when you first moved into your current home or apartment. Remember how you did not have enough to fill all of your closests and pantries? Look at those same closets and pantries now and I bet you will find that they are overflowing. Do you remember where those glasses came from? Who gave you that wool sweater again?

But how do you decide what to give to charity and what to keep? I will give you a few practical tips. With clothing, if you have not worn it at all during the last two years, chances are high that you will not have a need to wear it again. Household items can be a little harder to separate, but a good rule of thumb is that if you cannot remember the last time you used it, you probably do not need it. Just begin going through your possessions and decide as you go. If you are in doubt about an item, ask yourself these questions: do I really need it? Will I really use this? Is there someone else who could use this item more than me?

Giving to charity is a wonderful way to simplify your home, learn to see the needs of others and meet them all at the same time. Why not take a quick walk through your house and consider giving some of your things to charity today.

One step closer to immigrating to the us submitting your application

One step closer to immigrating to the US: submitting your application

So, you're ready to jump through some hoops to immigrate to the United States, huh? Well, it really isn't all that daunting a process if you're prepared for it. Unfortunately, a lot of technical requirements and miscellaneous tasks await a person who is ready to migrate to a new country, especially one with the intense border control of America. Don't you think you should know what they are?

Remember that as you go through the immigration process, your embassy or consulate will have a lot of power and so will the American immigration officer; in fact the latter will have the final say. Evidence, documents, and attitude aside, you aren't ever in total control of your immigration. So make sure you cross your t's and dot your i's! Try to be as accurate and complete with your application process so that you don't encounter any obstacles on the road to your new living arrangement.

Before submitting your immigration application, there are some things to keep in mind. In order to avoid pitfalls that often haunt others trying to accomplish the same goal, follow the tips below:

· Your passport will be important when applying for a visa. Make sure it is up to date and has accurate information about you

· It's easy to download an immigration form online; just make sure it's the proper one and you have Acrobat Reader for viewing – also, when you go to print, you may be required to print it out back to back and with certain dimensions

· Fill out the form as extensively and deeply as you can, otherwise put “N/A”

· An up to date, face-fronting photo with high contrast is a must for your application so have this on hand

· Your host in the U. S. can start putting the process in motion by sending in all necessary, up-to-date documents to the embassy you are dealing with; you'll want to be sure that there are no inconsistencies with the information your host and you give the embassy

· Prepare to answer questions during your interview about why you are immigrating to the U. S.; there are certain qualifications to do such a thing and you must be careful that you don't disqualify yourself on accident!

You can easily obtain a visa application visiting U. S. government Web sites on the World Wide Web. UnitedStatesVisas. gov and the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are tremendous resources for you.

Now, in order to submit your visa, you must locate the appropriate embassy to submit it to. Make an appointment with the consulars office and ask about fees ahead of time.

What you will need is: a passport, important documents, visa application forms (of course), and payment for whatever fees. Once the consulars office “okay's” you, you'll then greet an immigration officer in America. Essentially, the U. S. Department of Homeland Security will determine the length of your stay and all those other important details about your immigration status.