ISSN: 1391 - 0531
Sunday September 23, 2007
Vol. 42 - No 17
News  

Mortar attack shatters little Tharindu’s life out of sight

By Athula Bandara

Little Tharindu with his parents who were also injured in the mortar attack

With the apparently unwinnable war raging in the north and east for more than two decades continuing to take a high toll of lives, the list of those maimed keeps lengthening.

One such among the scores of casualties was that of a young child of Welioya in Athawetunuwewa, three-and-a-half-year-old Tharindu Laxan who lost both his eyes as another victim of this heartless war.

It happened on August 8 when Tigers are alleged to have launched a mortar attack on the village, in one of many such attacks on civilians.

The blast from one of the mortars that fell close to their kitchen also injured Tharindu’s parents and a neighbour who was with them at the time. The injured including the little child were rushed to the Padaviya hospital, but 64-year-old G.W. Premadasa was found dead on admission.

Little Tharindu who lost his sight

While little Tharindu’s head and face were badly injured, his mother’s body was covered with blood after being struck by shrapnel. From the Padaviya hospital, the injured were transferred to Anuradhapura for surgery and later, little Tharindu who was in need of further treatment was sent to the National Hospital in Colombo.

Though doctors at the NH gave the little child the best of attention his sight was badly impaired. But his parents believe that with more treatment Tharindu would one day regain his sight.

Doctors have advised that precautions be taken to avoid germs getting into Tharindu’s eyes but the little boy unable to understand the gravity of his ailment often questions his mother why he cannot see things around him as he did before.

The hapless parents too have undergone surgery many times and the trauma has adversely affected their lives. They hope and pray that some kind-hearted benefactor might help them come out of their plight.

 
Top to the page
E-mail


Reproduction of articles permitted when used without any alterations to contents and the source.
© Copyright 2007 Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka. All Rights Reserved.