GIRL AWAITS SURGERY ON HIP TSAATAN CHILD ADAPTS TO U.S.Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer VALENCIA - As surgeons made history and the world media descended on Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. to cover the separation of Guatemalan twin babies joined at the head 13 months ago, a toddler a world away learned the ways of her tribal family in the Mongolian mountains. Without the intense media attention generated by the twins, 4-year-old Bilgun, who suffered a dislocated dis·lo·cate tr.v. dis·lo·cat·ed, dis·lo·cat·ing, dis·lo·cates 1. To put out of usual or proper place, position, or relationship. 2. hip that threatens to misalign her developing bones, would still be with her reindeer-herding parents and siblings in the icy cold hills 40 miles from the Siberian border. But word of the nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. called Healing the Children - the same group that, through its Valencia-based California chapter, arranged the surgery for the conjoined twins conjoined twins or Siamese twins Identical twins (see multiple birth) whose embryos did not separate completely. Conjoined twins are physically joined (typically along the trunk or at the front, side, or back of the head) and often share some organs. - made its way to the tiny Tsaatan tribe and the giggling child is now with a foster family in Valencia, awaiting surgery scheduled for Sept. 25. ``There are only 40 families left in this tribe. And unlike the other tribes of Mongolia, they live in the cone-style teepees like the Native Americans used,'' said Edward Nef, president of Santis Corp., which operates an English school English school Dominant school in painting in England from the 18th century to c. 1850. From 1730 to 1750 two distinctive British forms of painting were perfected by William Hogarth: genre scenes depicting the “modern moral subject,” and the small-scale in the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator Ulan Bator: see Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia . ``When (a colleague) read about the (Guatemalan) twins and Healing the Children, that started the ball rolling. Bilgun's been on a long journey and the doctors are going to try to fix her hip.'' Healing the Children helps find medical care for children in underdeveloped countries, raising money to send doctors to remote areas of the world as well as arranging to bring some of the children to the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. for medical care. All the logistics, however, are of little concern to Bilgun, the third of four siblings. When the cheerful child made the lengthy journey to board a plane to Japan en route to California - two days on horseback on the back of a horse; mounted or riding on a horse or horses; in the saddle. See also: Horseback , followed by a two-day journey in a Jeep over rough roads before a two-hour plane ride to get to Mongolia's capital - she had never seen such inventions as television or even mirrors. Her foster family in Valencia said Bilgun, in the five days since she arrived, has learned to say juice, bathroom, thank you and drink. ``She loves the TV, especially cartoons and old black-and-white movies,'' said Melissa Felix, 17. ``She was a little shy at first, but now, when it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to go to bed, she'll climb on the bed and tickle you so you'll stay awake. You just have to lie there still until she gets tired and passes out.'' Bilgun's escort and translator, Mongolian-born Orgilmaa Doloonjin, said she witnessed the child's wonder and confusion at modern conveniences first-hand while at a hotel in Tokyo. As Bilgun watched TV, Orgilmaa was in the shower and asked the child to hand her the shampoo on the counter. ``I poke my head out the (shower curtain) and ask her to bring it to me,'' said the 38-year-old teacher. ``She come in and she see me in the mirror, she see my face and hear me talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to her. She take the shampoo and try to give it to the mirror. She try to climb up on the sink to give it to me. She didn't understand it was a mirror.'' To make her feel at home, the Felix family fashioned a tent in the living room using furniture and a sheet. Bilgun likes to crawl in and out, but she is not fooled by the replica. ``It's not like home,'' she said Friday in her native tongue. ``It's too hot here. The Mongolian food is better. I like apples and juice.'' Healing the Children said Bilgun will undergo surgery at Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and remain with her foster family for up to four months as she recovers. The three-hour procedure will be largely funded by Healing the Children. For information about donations, log on to www.healingchildren.org. Amy Raisin, (661) 257-5254 amy.raisin(at)dailynews.com |
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