Amina (Sarwat)

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

As some of you may remember, Amina (aka "Sarwat", screen names "fatal attraction", "DEATH!!!") told us she was to have an MRI today to help determine why she is in constant pain and in need of a crutch, despite a thoracolumbar curvature of only 35 degrees. I asked her to be sure and let us know how it went.

You may also remember that Amina is a university student in Kuwait, has been shunned and ridiculed for her deformity, and has in the past been suicidal, thus the sad choices of screen names.

It was explained to Amina that her screen names and some of the content of her posts were upsetting to some of the members, that the forum was created to help people suffering from the long-term results of Harrington rod surgery, that most of the members here are older than she is, and that further references to death would be censored. She was told she was still welcome to participate, and that Carole and I, who had invited her to join, would be happy to correspond privately with her should she feel a need to vent as she had in her early posts.

She has withdrawn her membership. It was not possible to get her to reconsider, but she wanted me to be sure and tell you all that she would welcome your emails.

She can be reached at amina_bba@...

I have corresponded with her extensively on the Salvaged Sisters site and privately, and I find her delightfully warm and funny, in spite of her suffering. I really hope a good number of us can look beyond the cultural differences and emotional pain, get to know her as a person, and offer her some support.

Sharon