Ashraf Thamraserry
On May 4, Gulf News carried a report on Ashraf Thamraserry. For 15 years, 38-year-old Ashraf Thamraserry helped various nationalities repatriate the bodies of their loved ones. He has helped in more than 2,000 cases so far. Thamraserry, an automobile mechanic, came to the UAE in 1997 like any other job aspirant looking to earn money and fulfil his dreams. He established an automobile workshop in Sanaiya, Ajman and, when business did well, he bought two water tankers as well.
Thamraserry felt so blessed in life that he looked to give back to the community. He got an opportunity while visiting a sick friend at a Sharjah hospital.
“Fifteen years ago, I had gone to visit a sick friend at a hospital where I witnessed the grief of another family. The sole breadwinner had passed away. The wife and the young children were distraught as they had no clue how to get the body released and repatriated to India. I worked with the Sharjah court, the police, and the embalming centre to help repatriate the body. The entire process took me four days, but I cannot explain the relief that I was able to give that family,” he said. “I realised I could mitigate the sorrow of the bereaved families by handling the paper work.”
Thamraserry talks about his commitment to the cause and how the year gone by served to strengthen his resolve.
Looking back: My goal was to help people in their grief by offering them the help they needed to repatriate the bodies of their loved ones. I am now well aware of the process. I am thankful that my brother runs my automobile business in Ajman while I devote all my time to this service. Since I do not accept money from the people I help, we get most of the financing from the money we make from my business.
Challenges: Money was never a challenge. I think the most challenging aspect of 2014 was the number of untimely deaths. There were several sudden deaths which meant that I had a lot of cases to take care of.
To begin with, my decision to undertake this task was trigerred by my friend’s death. At the time, I was forced to figure out the paperwork on my own. Once I familiarised myself with the process, I decided to help others because I believed that just as I had to initally struggle to understand the process, there were many who found it daunting. At the time, I had wished there was somebody who could have helped me So I now help others looking for assistance.
When I started helping others, I found myself carrying a lot of emotional baggage that comes with going to morgues and seeing people claim the bodies of their loved ones. However, with time, I have come to terms with it.
Looking forward: I will continue to offer my services for as long as I can. I have helped people from different parts of the world such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Canada, Nepal and the Philippines. I have realised that many of the people I have helped are here alone with very little support. I am happy that I can provide them with a service they desperately need because I can see the relief on their faces when the process is over. “To me, it is crucial that we are able to serve the community in any way we can.
P.M. Shah
On October 19, Gulf News carried a report on P.M. Shah who appealed for help to settle his hospital bill of Dh17,000. Shah, who used to work as a driver for a family in Dubai, had suffered a brain haemorrhage that left the left side of his body temporarily paralysed. Just as he began to despair about never being able to pay off the amount — the hospital had waived around Dh1,700 from the bill — Shah found a benefactor who paid the bill.
Shah, from Rawalpindi in Pakistan, is married and has a son. He came to the UAE in 1975 and worked for Dubai state utility services till 2000, when he returned home. After doiing odd jobs back in Pakistan, he returned to Dubai in 2013.
Today, he looks back on 2014 that turned out to be a challenging year and is grateful to the individual who, without wanting anything in return, helped him emerge from his darkest period.
Looking back: The first month or so of 2014 was a blur — I was knocked unconscious when I hit the bathroom floor after suffering brain haemorrhage. I was temporarily paralysed and that cost me my driver’s job. It was my only means to support my wife and son back in Pakistan. I was also facing a huge hospital bill that I couldn’t pay. I had given up hope and was having terrifying thoughts — ‘Would I end up in jail?’ ‘Was this the year I would die?’ ‘Who would take care of my family?’— about what could happen to me or my family.
Challenges: I started borrowing money to pay for my daily expenses. I didn’t have money even to travel by the metro. Without a job, I had no income and no savings. My family’s situation back home was also getting desperate. The stress was increasing and I feared it would trigger another haemorrhage. My passport had been held as a guarantee in case I wouldn’t be able to clear my dues. It was the longest year of my life.
Looking forward: Out of the blue, my spirits soared again. I regained trust in humanity. I realised that there were a lot of good people out there. One man cleared by hospital bill. Others helped in smaller ways. I cry when I think about them and pray that God gives them the best things in life. I just need to start working again to support myself and my family and settle my loans. My physical strength is improving.
Mohammad Afzal
Mohammad Afzal’s son Adeel was separated from his family on New Year’s eve last year as they watched the fireworks display in Dubai. The 30-year-old Adeel, diagnosed with schizophrenia, took a washroom break and after that, wandered away. His father, desperate to find his missing son, called up Gulf News and we carried a report titled, ‘Father seeks help to find missing son’. As a result of the report, on January 8, a reader spotted Adeel rain-soaked and lost, sitting on a bench near the Baniyas Square Metro station. He contacted Gulf News’ Reader’s Desk. The Reader’s Desk decided to turn to our 200,000-plus social media followers and network of readers for assistance. Gulf News posted: ‘Are you near Baniyas Square Metro station now? We need your help’.
Within minutes, responses started pouring in through Twitter and Facebook. One reader sent Adeel’s picture to Gulf News and it was confirmed that he was the missing man. Afzal’s family was promptly advised by the newspaper and Mohammed Afzal and his elder son rushed to the spot as the readers waited with Adeel. They didn’t want to leave him alone in the rain as they waited for his family to reunite with him.
Mohammed Afzal talks about life after being reunited with his son.
Looking back: It has been a difficult journey from the start, especially since my son went missing on New Year’s eve. My son was diagnosed with schizophrenia and ever since, we have had difficulty coping with his mental disability. On New Year’s eve, we decided to take him out to watch the celebrations, but it ended up with him being lost and we frantically looking for him. For nine days, we searched for him everywhere. We had contacted Gulf News with the report on my son’s disapperance. Luckily, someone spotted Adeel sitting on the bench near the Baniyas Square station having read the report and seen his photograph and we were reunited with our son.
Challenges: When my son was diagnosed with schizophrenia, I was a worried man since I don’t have enough resources to take care of him. He sits at home without any medication or rehabilitation. Although I am of old age and need medical attention, my priority is to provide for my son before looking after myself. My son does not talk, doesn’t know names, telephone numbers and cannot recall anything easily, fact that worried us when he went missing. What he did during the nine days he went missing remains a mystery to us. In addition to all that happened, I had an operation during the time he went missing which was another obstacle in our search to find him.
Looking forward: I want to thank everyone who helped us find our son. It took one person to notice that there was something odd about a 30-year old man sitting on a bench in the pouring rain. I thank the gentleman who went the extra mile to help my son and help our family. And this is my message to everyone — I look forward to seeing people easing the pain of others by offering any help they can. The situation my family experienced can happen to anyone, which is why I urge everyone in the community to help others.
Kefaya
Kefaya, a mother of five, was battling cancer and lacked the necessary funds for her treatment. She had her breast surgically removed in 2008 but unfortunately enough for Kefaya, she discovered that the cancer had spread to other parts of her body. Kefaya’s children currently reside in Yemen in order to attain an education while she stays here with her sister Najat in order to get the appropriate treatment. Though hospital bills and treatments were expensive, Kefaya was able to pay for both with the financial help provided by Gulf News readers.
Najat, her sister, spoke to Gulf News on behalf of Kefaya, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy.
Looking back: This year was very difficult for my sister, Kefaya, since she has suffered a lot because of her sickness. It started when she found out that she had breast cancer and then her situation worsened when she later found out that she also had brain cancer. The year was tiring for her going for treatments, check ups and chemotherapy.
Challenges: The main challenge is the financial challenge given that she has no money in her bank account as of now. The bills that we get have outrageous sum numbers on them that sometimes we don’t know how it will be possible to cover the expenses. Apart from that, emotionally she is exhausted and the sickness is bringing her spirit down. There are days where she is uplifted and happy, but there are other days that are difficult on her and everyone surrounding her. She has kids that are currently getting an education back in Yemen, however, one of her sons constantly visits to stand by her side for support. It is difficult on all of us to see her going in and out of hospitals all the time but as long as she is getting better we cannot complain.
Looking forward: Honestly at the moment I am leaving it up to God and I hope that people offer whatever help they can provide to us in order for my sister to get better. I hope that financially the situation gets better so that we can pay for her treatment incase we are told that she needs brain surgery when the results of her check up come out. I also feel that it would be a dream come true if my sister gets so that she can go back to Yemen to work and provide for her children.
— With inputs from Suchitra Bajpai Chaudhary, Senior Writer and Faisal Masudi, Staff Reporter