Kruthika is no more

It is with deep regret and profound sadness that we inform you of passing of our dear little Kruthika. Kruthika was fighting with cancer for a long time and on November 5th the inevitable occured.

We sincerely pray that her parents muster the courage to move on in life. It will be unbearable pain for them, but hopefully they will accept the reality. Santhosh will keep in touch with the family in the coming days and extend any help that they may require to overcome this tragic incident.

We thank everyone who contributed to our efforts. We didn't get what we wanted in the end. But we had put in our best efforts, to the best of our abilities. There are countless Kruthika-like children in our society who need help. Let us work with renewed zeal to help them to the best of our abilities.

Good Bye Kruthika.

Kruthika : VERY IMPORTANT update

Dear All,

We have an important update for Kruthika. Please do read till the end.

As you may be knowing, Kruthika was undergoing Chemo Therapy after the surgery last year for bone cancer. She was responding well to the treatment and was even able to walk without the help. She was doing well till the end of July.

However, she started experiencing pain near her chest from July end. Her family didn't initially come for a detailed scanning as was suggested by the doctor, as they were bit hesitant to ask for more help from Santhosh. Santhosh called them back to Bangalore for a complete check up on August 18th. The scanning reports revealed the recurrence of cancer attack.

This is a very unfortunate situation because,
- Cancer has spread to lungs now
- This is a recurrence of cancer attack. She was getting Chemo therapy earlier and the recurrence means that further Chemo and radiation therapy would be of no value now.

Santhosh has had a long discussion with Dr. Durga Prasanna, who was taking care of Kruthika's treatment. Doctor has essentially told us to prepare for the inevitable. Doctor had a quick discussion with his professors, experts from AIMS, and he has told us not to have any positive hopes of a recovery from this point. Even spending huge amount of money on any other possible treatment would only delay the inevitable by few weeks/days.

Her family is shocked and devastated with this news. They are sitting infront of her counting the final number of days. My words fail to express that pain, that sense of helplessness of losing child infront of their own eyes and not being able to do anything for that. Let us pray that they muster enough courage and love for life to carry on.

We, as a group (Asthe), could probably claim that we did what we could. Somehow such cliams sounds very hollow to me at this unfortunate moment. We did provide her the best medical treatment that we could possibly. We provided moral support to the family, thanks largely to Santhosh's kind heart. We spent enormous time, money and energy for this cause. End result is not we have hoped for, but we have no choice, but to accept. But, yes, our efforts probably added one year to her life. This is a moment to understand and accept the limitations of our efforts.

Santhosh will be meeting Kruthika. He has been too involved in this cause. Please let us know if you want to meet Kruthika. Let us make every possible effort to make her happy, before that opportunity is no more available to us.

ವಿಕ್ಕಿಗೆ ಅಭಿನಂದನೆಗಳು

ವಿಕ್ಕಿ ಅಲಿಯಾಸ್ ವಿಕ್ರಮ್ ಹತ್ವಾರ್-ಗೆ ಈ ಬಾರಿಯ ಕನ್ನಡಪ್ರಭ-ಸ್ವಪ್ನಬುಕ್ ಹೌಸ್ ಸಂಕ್ರಾಂತಿ ಕಥಾ ಸ್ಪರ್ಧೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮೊದಲ ಬಹುಮಾನ್ ದಕ್ಕಿದೆ. ವಿವರಗಳಿಗೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡಿ.

ವಿಕ್ಕಿ ಯಾರು ಅಂತ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ವಾ? ಇದನ್ನ ಓದಿ. ಅಂದಹಾಗೆ, ಈ ಖುಶಿಯ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವತರಿಗೆ ಮಸಾಲೆ ದೋಸೆ ಪಾರ್ಟಿ ಕೊಡಿಸ್ತೇನೆ ಅಂತ ವಿಕ್ಕಿ ವಾಗ್ದಾನ ನೀಡಿದ್ದಾನೆ. ನಿಮಗೂ ಬರ್ಬೇಕು ಅನ್ನಿಸಿದ್ರೆ ಅವನನ್ನೇ ವಿಚಾರಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ.

Fall ಸೀಸನ್ನು

ಚಳಿಗಾಲ ಆಗ್ಲೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಲಿಡ್ತಿದೆ. ಮರಗಳ ಎಲೆಗಳೆಲ್ಲ ಉದುರುತ್ತಾ ಇದೆ. ಎಲೆಗಳು ಮರಗಳಿಂದ ಉದುರೋ ಮುನ್ನ ಹಸಿರು ಬಣ್ಣ ಕಳ್ಕೊಂಡು ಹಳದಿ, ಕಿತ್ತಳೆ, ಕೆಂಪು, ನೇರಳೆ ಬಣ್ಣಗಳಿಗೆ ತಿರುಗುತ್ತೆ. ಚಳಿಗಾಲ ಆರಂಭ ಆಗೋ ಮುನ್ನ ದಿನಗಳು ಚಿಕ್ಕದಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದರೆ ಮರಗಳೆಲ್ಲ "ಆಯ್ತು, ಇನ್ನೂ ಕಾಯ್ತಾ ಕೂತ್ರೆ ಕಷ್ಟ. ದ್ಯುತಿಸಂಶ್ಲೇಷಣ ಕ್ರಿಯೆಯನ್ನ (photosynthesis) ಇನ್ನು ನಿಲ್ಸೋದು ಸರಿ" ಅಂತ ಠರಾವು ಅಂಗೀಕರಿಸಿದ ಮೇಲೆ ಎಲೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿರೋ ಪತ್ರಹರಿತ್ತು (chlorophyll) ಮಾಯ ಆಗ್ತಾ ಬರತ್ತೆ. ಆಗ ಎಲೆಗಳ ನಿಜವಾದ ಬಣ್ಣ ಬಯಲಾಗತ್ತೆ. ಇನ್ನೂ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಓದ್ಬೇಕು ಅಂದ್ರೆ - ಇಲ್ಲಿ - ನೋಡಿ. ಕೆಂಡಸಂಪಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮೀರಾ ಬರೆದಿರೋ ಅಂಕಣವನ್ನೂ ಬೇಕಿದ್ರೆ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಓದಿ. ಹಾಗೆ ಇಲ್ಲೂ ಒಬ್ರು ಬಿಸಿಬಿಸಿ ಕಾಫಿ ಮಾಡ್ಕೊಂಡು ಸ್ವೆಟರು ಶಾಲು ಅಂತೆಲ್ಲ ಹುಡುಕ್ತಿರೋರೂ ಇದಾರೆ.

ನ್ಯೂಇಂಗ್ಲೆಂಡ್ ಚಂದವನ್ನ ನೋಡ್ಬೇಕು ಅಂದ್ರೆ ಈ ವೀಡಿಯೋ ತುಣುಕನ್ನ ನೋಡಿ.

ಇದು Canon ಪರ್ವತದ ಮೇಲಿಂದ. ೪೨೦೦ ಅಡಿ ಎತ್ತರದಿಂದ ಪಕ್ಷಿನೋಟ. ಗಾಳಿ ಎಷ್ಟು ಜೋರಿತ್ತು ಅಂದ್ರೆ,ವಿವರಣೆ ನಿಮಗೆ ಕೇಳಿಸೋದೆ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಆ ಗಾಳಿಗೆ ಭಾಗ್ವತ್ರು ಹಾರಿ ಹೋಗದೆ ಇದ್ದಿದ್ದೆ ಪುಣ್ಯ!! ಇಲ್ಲಾ ಅಂತಿದ್ರೆ, ಗದಾಯುದ್ಧದ ಪ್ರಸಂಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಉಪಪಾಂಡವರ ತಲೆಗಳನ್ನ ನೋಡಿ, ದುರ್ಯೋಧನ ’ಚಂದ್ರವಂಶಕ್ಕಿನ್ನಾರು’ ಅಂತ ಗೋಳಿಟ್ಟಂತೆ, ನಾವು ನೀವೆಲ್ಲ "ನಮ್ಮ ಕಾಲೆಳೆಯುವವರಾರಿನ್ನು’ ಅಂತ ಗೋಳಿಡ್ಬೇಕಾಗ್ತಿತ್ತು!!!

ಶುಭಂ

ಕಾಯ್ಕಿಣಿ ಉವಾಚ

ಇದು ಗಡಿಬಿಡಿ ಪೋಸ್ಟು. ಕಳೆದ ತಿಂಗಳು ಇಲ್ಲೊಂದು ನಮ್ಮ ನೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಸಾಹಿತಿ ಜಯಂತ ಕಾಯ್ಕಿಣಿಯವರ ಸಂದರ್ಶನವಿತ್ತು. ಅದರ ವಿಡಿಯೋ ತುಣುಕೊಂದು ನಿಮಗಾಗಿ ಕನ್ನಡತನ, ಮಾನವೀಯ ವಿನ್ಯಾಸ, ಮಗುವಿನ ಅಚ್ಚರಿಯ ಕಣ್ಣುಗಳು.....ಜಯಂತ ಕಾಯ್ಕಿಣಿ ತಮ್ಮ ಎಂದಿನ ಅನನ್ಯ ಶೈಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿ....ನೋಡಿ ಆನಂದಿಸಿ. ಭಾಗ್ವತ್ರಿಗೊಂದು ಮಸಾಲೆ ದೋಸೆ ಹರಕೆ ಹೊತ್ಕೊಳ್ಳಿ:-)

ಭಾಗವತರ ಕಷ್ಟ

"ನನ್ನ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಹೋಗಬೇಡ್ವೋ, ಭಾಗ್ವತ"
ಹಠ ಹಿಡಿದು ಕುಳಿತಿತ್ತು ಸೋಮಾರಿತನ,

"ಘನಾಂದಾರಿ ಕೆಲಸವಿದೆ ಕಣೋ, ನನಗೆ.
ನಿನ್ನ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಹೋಗಲೇಬೇಕು ನಾನೀಗ,
ಕೋಪಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಾರು ಓದುಗ ದೊರೆಗಳು,
ಅವರ ಕೋಪ ತಾಳಿದವರುಂಟೇ ಹೇಳು?"

"ಬರೀ ಸುಳ್ಳು ಹೇಳ್ತೀ, ನಿನ್ನ ಬಿಡಲ್ಲ ನಾನು"
ಕಾಲಿಗೆ ಜೋತುಬಿದ್ದಿತ್ತು ಸೋಮಾರಿತನ.

"ಛೇ, ಛೇ, ಛೇ..ನಾನು ಮತ್ತು ಸುಳ್ಳು??
ಒಂದರ್ಧ ಗಂಟೆ ಅಷ್ಟೇ, ಮತ್ತೆ ವಾಪಸ್.
ಹಠ ಮಾಡಬೇಡ ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ನೀನೀಗ,
ಹೋಗಿ ಬರುತ್ತೇನೆ, ಬಿಡು ನನ್ನ ಒಮ್ಮೆ"

"ಇಲ್ಲ ಬಿಡಲ್ಲ, ನಿನ್ನ ನಾನು ಬಿಡಲ್ಲ",
ರಚ್ಚೆ ಹಿಡಿದಿತ್ತು ಸೋಮಾರಿತನ

"ನಿನ್ನ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ನನಗಿನ್ಯಾರಿದ್ದಾರೋ?,
ವಾಪಾಸು ಬಂದುಬಿಡುತ್ತೇನೆ, ಖಂಡಿತ.
ಅಡ್ಜಸ್ಟು ಮಾಡಿಕೋ, ಒಂದರ್ಧ ಗಂಟೆ,
ಬರ್ತಾ ನಿನಗೆ ಮಸಾಲೆ ದೋಸೆ, ಆಯ್ತಾ?"

"ಓಹ್, ಮಸಾಲೆ ದೋಸೆನಾ? ಹಾಗಿದ್ರೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಬಾ,
ಅರ್ಧ ಗಂಟೆ ಅಷ್ಟೇ, ಆಮೇಲೆ ನಾನು ಮತ್ತು ನೀನು"
.........
ಇಗೋ ನೋಡಿರಿ, ಓದುಗ ದೊರೆಗಳೆ,
ನಿಮ್ಮೆದುರು ನಾನು,ಆರ್ಧ ಗಂಟೆ ಅಷ್ಟೇ,
ಎಷ್ಟೊಂದು ಕಷ್ಟ ನೋಡಿರಿ ನನಗೆ!!
ಆ ಮಸಾಲೆದೋಸೆ ಖರ್ಚು ನಿಮ್ಮದೇ!!

The diving bell and the butterfly

I just watched a French movie "The diving bell and the butterfly". It is based on a true story of a French Journalist 'Jean-Dominique Bauby'. He suffered a cerebrovascular accident at the age of 43 and was diagnosed with 'lock-in syndrome'. He was paralysed from head to toe and wheel-chair bound. All that he had was a functional left eye and imagination. He went on to dictate a book about his life with a method of blinking his left eye for alphabets. You can read about it here and here

It was truly an amazing movie, engaging and thoroughly absorbing. It was a long time since I watched a gripping movie like this one. It was very poignant. The most painful was the phone conversation between Bauby and his father. It moved me beyond words. Losing one's kid in front of one's eye is probably the worst thing that can happen to a person. Unfortunately I have come across such parents very closely. I was so moved when I read about the Ulaibettu (Mangalore) incident in which 7 children died recently. Rain always brings happy memories to us, makes us nostalgic, romantic. But unfortunately it takes few innocent lives also with it every year. I hope those parents will have enough love for life left in them to carry on. I too pray like my grandma would do, with her hands held high, and with full faith "ಮಾತಾಯಿ, ಇಷ್ಟ್ ಮಳೆ ಸಾಕ್. ಊರಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾರಿಗೂ ಉಪದ್ರ ಕೊಡ್ದೆ, ಸುಮ್ಮನಾಗು".

The movie also brought the pictures of our own Sridhar Heggodu in front of me. He is fully aware that he is dependent on others and that must be very painful. Life sometimes makes us so helpless. We always want to believe that the good things that we have currently like good job, family, friends circle etc., will continue eternally. We realize the hard truths only when that myth is busted. Bauby says at one point (not verbatim) " I can't talk to my children, can't play with them, can't clasp my arms around their smooth bodies. But I am happy for them, because they live, smile, laugh. That means a fine day to me". What we have today is a gift. But do we realize it? I hope at least one day we won't be fighting each other on various barriers like creed, language, nationality, colour, profession (like IT vs non-IT) etc. May be it is too simplistic. May be life is too complex for such idealism. But then.....life is only one.... Don't move so fast that you miss to smell the roses.