From the Wellingtonian Newspaper 28 Nov: Judy and Edwin Whiteside of Khandallah Presbyterian Church, Wellington, are fundraising to help a Myanmar family beset by tragedy and have so far raised $8000. The Whitesides met Julia Tha, a refugee from Myanmar, at the Khandallah Presbyterian Church and encouraged her in her attempts to gain New Zealand residency and citizenship. They kept in touch with Tha and her extended family and were moved by the story of a recent family tragedy.Tha’s partner, Dennis Maang, took part in a family reunion in Myanmar this year. His brother, Augustin, was returning to his home in India with his wife and two young children when they were involved in a horrific road accident. Their driver fell asleep and the car plunged 300 metres down a ravine. Their baby was killed, Augustin suffered kidney injuries and his wife, Rosie, suffered spinal injuries and was paralysed. They are not eligible for hospital assistance in India and Rosie is too unwell to return to Myanmar. The Whitesides, hearing of the family’s plight, have set about raising money to help with hospital treatment in Delhi. They held a garage sale at Khandallah Presbyterian Church last Saturday and it was so well supported it raised $5500. A further $500 came from cash donations and $1000 from the Give A Little site that has been set up. Goods sold on Trade Me netted a further $1000. ‘‘We were very pleased with the garage sale,’’ Judy Whiteside said. ‘‘The number of donations was overwhelming and people were queued outside the church waiting for the sale to begin. ‘‘Complete strangers offered to help on the day. The community spirit that came out was tremendous and many of the helpers commented that they felt uplifted by the experience.’’ She said local businesses, such as Salon Villair, Khandallah Pharmacy and New World, donated goods and services for raffles. The Whitesides are pressing on with their fundraising quest, hoping to reach the $12,000 Rosie needs for treatment.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 23:00:47 +0000
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