CMCS Connections

1 C M C S c o n n e c t i o n s 4 t h q u a r t e r 2 0 1 5 By SARAH Murphy O n July 24, 2015 the CMCS Vo l u n t e e r C o m m i t t e e served dinner once again, a t t h e R o n a l d M c D o n a l d H o u s e , located downtown on the campus of IUPUI. This Ronald McDonald location has 46 sleeping rooms and six apartments designed specifically for the needs of transplant patients and their families. Like every other evening that the volunteer committee has served dinner, we arrived early and began to set up for the evening meal. Folks arrived early, eager to have a hot, homestyle, sit-down meal. On this evening, among several children and their families, we met a little boy and his family who had recently been featured in an article in the Indianapolis Star on June 29, 2015. Nima Akbarian had come from Afghanistan with his parents to undergo treatment for a disorder with his esophagus and windpipe that had been unable to be repaired effectively in his native country. The Rotary Club of Brownsburg helped pave the way for Nima and his family to come to the United States for evaluation and treatment. N i m a 's f a t h e r, Z a r i f A h m a d Akbarian and his mother, Zohrah Rajabi were able to stay at Ronald McDonald House along with their son during his care at the hospital. Zarif, a physician in Herat, Afghanistan, would need to return home in about another month, while Nima's mother, would be staying longer at the Ronald McDonald House until her son was well and ready to make the long journey home. His mother, a shy lady who did not speak much English, was overwhelmed with gratitude for the American hospitality and healthcare that offered her son a normal life. The love of this mother for her son was very clear to see. T h i s f a m i l y s h o w e d a d e e p a p p re c i a t i o n f o r e v e r y o n e w h o h e l p e d b r i n g t h e i r s o n t o t h e United States and perform the surgical repairs that could only be done by very highly specialized pediatric surgeons. Nima's father said his son was aided by everyone's prayers, and that made Nima our child also, through those prayers. We w e r e a l l t h a n k f u l f o r t h e opportunity to meet this wonderful f a m i l y, s h a re o u r p r a y e r s , a n d celebrate the healing of this child, a gift that clearly meant so much to this grateful family. c o o p e r a t i v e m a n a g e d c a r e s e r v i c e s c o n n e c t i o n s n e w s m a g a z i n e CMCS Volunteers' Hearts Warmed by Those They Served Connections 4 t h q u a r t e r 2 0 1 5 From left to right: Drew Klages, Rochelle Bailey, Zohrah Rajabi, Zarif Ahmad Akbarian, baby Nima Akbarian, Yolanda Mohid, and Miles Jansen. CONTACT CMCS 9045 N. River Road, Suite 250 Indianapolis, IN 46240 Phone: 317.578.4300 Toll Free: 888.504.5556 Fax: 800.747.3693

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