The forgotten Hospital Children: Princess Bindy’s story

Caption Pic 1: Bindisa Powaseu

 

Caption Pic 2:  Bindisa carried by Lady Ni Cragnolini and Catherine Porter.

By Matthew Vari

Sunday, May 17, 2015 (Sunday Weekly Magazine)

WHILE life goes on in the big city of Port Moresby, with the hustle and bustle of presidential visits, regional games events, the price of commodities, to the day to day saga in the political arena’s- take a moment to reflect to the corridors leading into some of the country’s hospitals and clinics where young children have grown up with the smell of medicine, disinfectant, and the white shades which is the color of most of our main hospital interiors.

True enough, there are children who have been born in hospitals that have known nothing about the world around them than that of the medical environment.

Bindisa Powaseu is one such soul, who from birth has had 6 of her 7 years of life spent going in and out of hospital.

The special case with Bindy is that she has Renal Tubular Acidosis (RTA is a medical condition that involves an accumulation of acid in the body due to a failure of the kidneys to appropriately acidify the urine) with Nephrocalcinosis (is a term originally used to describe deposition of calcium salts in the renalparenchyma), along with other complications.

In a letter written to The PNG Children's Foundation, through foundation President Yiannis Nicolaou for assistance in helping little Bindi- support for the little fighter has come from the hearts of individuals trying to make a difference for the forgotten hospital generation fighting to live.

 Catherine Porter, who has taken the lead to help provide treatment for Bindi- stated that the main issue is that there has never been a full investigative study into what is wrong, which as a result there has been no ongoing treatment.

“Little Bindi, takes special medications daily, which has been a burden for her family to supply.  Her father, unemployed, as he has to look after Bindy at the hospital as her maternal parent left the family when Bindy was a still a baby,” Porter wrote.

“She lives with constant pain but always has a smile at the ready for everyone.”

“Bindy needs financial assistance to get the medical care she has sadly lacked for the past six years.  Bindy is only 7 years old and doesn’t know what it’s like to live a normal pain free life.”

 Porter explained that more tests were needed and to eventually have Bindy referred overseas for treatment. 

“I realized that this task was too much for me alone and I reached out for help by setting up a Facebook page dedicated to Bindy,” Potter added.

  

The letter got a response in the form of Yiannis Nicolaou presenting Bindi with K15,000 required to conduct the necessary tests needed, which he said the foundation was honored to assist. 

Twivey Lawyers, where Catherine Porter is their Corporate Services Manager, has set up a Trust account and will be looking after all funds raised towards Bindy’s treatments.