KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - In a country hardened by decades of war, hostile to outsiders and often indifferent to life, a tiny tragedy unfolded for Canadian soldiers Thursday as a six-year-old boy lost his battle with cancer.
But from heartache, the seeds of a new understanding between Canadians and Afghanis appeared to be sown, at least in one small patch of this country.
Neimatullah, a child from one of the most impoverished areas of this desert city, died at the Canadian provincial reconstruction team (PRT) base.
As he was immediately laid to rest in his village just north of here, the child's grandfather, a veteran of the mujahedeen war against the Soviets, and the local imam said actions taken by Canadians to ease the boy's suffering reshaped their view of the faraway western country.
"We were considered infidels," said Cpl. Brian Sanders, who was told of grandfather Taj Mohammed's comments following the funeral.
"The people there hated us. I mean, they really hated us, but he said Canadians are no longer considered infidels in that village and he'll remember what happened as long as he lives."
It was Sanders' appeal to his church, the North Edmonton Christian Fellowship, which raised $18,000 for the boy's cancer treatment in Pakistan.
Leftover money from the fund was used to bury Neimatullah on Thursday, the military said in a statement.
He was first brought to the Canadian satellite base last month with a massive cancerous growth on his face that had spread down his neck. At the time, doctors gave the boy little chance of survival.
Even though the inevitable did occur, Sanders said it was one of the most moving experiences of his life knowing that he helped ease the boy's misery.
"He was not in pain. He was happy when he died," he said.
Knowing the local hospital had no resources to help the boy, Sanders contacted Pastor Henry Motta at North Edmonton Christian Fellowship and asked if the congregation could step in. At the next Sunday service, Motta played a videotape soldiers had taken of Neimatullah, and passed the hat.
From a congregation of about 300, at that one service, a total of $11,000 was raised. Donations swelled to $18,000 when the appeal spread to the broader community.
"It was an amazing response," said Motta.
He said just knowing his congregation helped ease the pain of a dying little boy was reward enough.
Just days ago, Neimatullah was discharged from Skaukat Khanum Hospital in Pakistan after undergoing an initial round of chemotherapy treatment. Appearing weak from the therapy, but with his tumour smaller, the child visited the Canadian base on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"He looked like a little boy again," said Sanders.
"It was amazing. He even smiled at me."
His immune system was weakened by the therapy, which brought on a fever. Doctors at the base prescribed antibiotics following the visit.
But Thursday morning, his grandfather and uncle rushed him back to the Canadians when they discovered the boy had stopped breathing. The station's medical team tried to revive him but ultimately failed.
With a father addicted to opium and a mother who deserted the family because of domestic abuse, Neimatullah became the focus of prayers and fundraising almost from the moment his plight was revealed to outside the world.
This region of Afghanistan has few functioning hospitals and no specialized cancer facilities or palliative care.
"It brings into sharp focus how our destiny is often an accident of geography," said Capt. Adrian Norbash, the doctor who treated the boy.
"If the child had been in Canada, the outcome might have been different. Maybe it would have been caught sooner, or he would
http://start.shaw.ca/start/enCA/News/WorldNewsArticle.htm?src=w032355A.xml
But from heartache, the seeds of a new understanding between Canadians and Afghanis appeared to be sown, at least in one small patch of this country.
Neimatullah, a child from one of the most impoverished areas of this desert city, died at the Canadian provincial reconstruction team (PRT) base.
As he was immediately laid to rest in his village just north of here, the child's grandfather, a veteran of the mujahedeen war against the Soviets, and the local imam said actions taken by Canadians to ease the boy's suffering reshaped their view of the faraway western country.
"We were considered infidels," said Cpl. Brian Sanders, who was told of grandfather Taj Mohammed's comments following the funeral.
"The people there hated us. I mean, they really hated us, but he said Canadians are no longer considered infidels in that village and he'll remember what happened as long as he lives."
It was Sanders' appeal to his church, the North Edmonton Christian Fellowship, which raised $18,000 for the boy's cancer treatment in Pakistan.
Leftover money from the fund was used to bury Neimatullah on Thursday, the military said in a statement.
He was first brought to the Canadian satellite base last month with a massive cancerous growth on his face that had spread down his neck. At the time, doctors gave the boy little chance of survival.
Even though the inevitable did occur, Sanders said it was one of the most moving experiences of his life knowing that he helped ease the boy's misery.
"He was not in pain. He was happy when he died," he said.
Knowing the local hospital had no resources to help the boy, Sanders contacted Pastor Henry Motta at North Edmonton Christian Fellowship and asked if the congregation could step in. At the next Sunday service, Motta played a videotape soldiers had taken of Neimatullah, and passed the hat.
From a congregation of about 300, at that one service, a total of $11,000 was raised. Donations swelled to $18,000 when the appeal spread to the broader community.
"It was an amazing response," said Motta.
He said just knowing his congregation helped ease the pain of a dying little boy was reward enough.
Just days ago, Neimatullah was discharged from Skaukat Khanum Hospital in Pakistan after undergoing an initial round of chemotherapy treatment. Appearing weak from the therapy, but with his tumour smaller, the child visited the Canadian base on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"He looked like a little boy again," said Sanders.
"It was amazing. He even smiled at me."
His immune system was weakened by the therapy, which brought on a fever. Doctors at the base prescribed antibiotics following the visit.
But Thursday morning, his grandfather and uncle rushed him back to the Canadians when they discovered the boy had stopped breathing. The station's medical team tried to revive him but ultimately failed.
With a father addicted to opium and a mother who deserted the family because of domestic abuse, Neimatullah became the focus of prayers and fundraising almost from the moment his plight was revealed to outside the world.
This region of Afghanistan has few functioning hospitals and no specialized cancer facilities or palliative care.
"It brings into sharp focus how our destiny is often an accident of geography," said Capt. Adrian Norbash, the doctor who treated the boy.
"If the child had been in Canada, the outcome might have been different. Maybe it would have been caught sooner, or he would
http://start.shaw.ca/start/enCA/News/WorldNewsArticle.htm?src=w032355A.xml
