Pattaya Gay Community Query..

[catawampuscat]

For a change, I am at a loss for words to express what I am feeling and thinking, so bear
with me.

I have been very impressed with GayTingTong and specifically with the great help
being offered to a Thai guy with HIV-AIDS. One moderator is taking care of a Thai
guy and has made an enormous difference in the guy's life as well as his family.
My purpose in starting this thread is not about this guy, who is already being helped financially
and medically and must feel the support and care of the farangs who have rallied around
him.

Thais4Life, a very worthy volunteer group of gaymen in Pattaya began, to help
a Thai guy with a life threatening illness and made the difference..

Oogleman's and GayTingTong forum members have made a big difference as has
Thais4Life and inspired this thread as I have seen it is possible for farangs to make
a difference and get involved..

Now, here is the situation. In Sunee Plaza, at Sammy's, there is a young guy with
A.L.S., also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. The boy is working at the restaurant/bar
and is in need of some help. His father apparently has the same disease and one sibling
has already died of the same disease..
Tonite, a group of my friends dined at Sammys and one of my friends who knows this boy
well, found out that he was hungry and invited the boy to join us inside the restaurant.
Several of my friends and acquaintances have discussed this situation before but now the
disease is progressing and it is obvious that the boy is having motor/muscle difficulties.

The boy ordered spaghetti with a meat sauce and when I saw the waiter bring it, I hoped they
would have something to cover his shirt, as he was having difficulties with his hands.
My farang friend, held the boys' bottle of soda and the boy leaned over to sip the straw and put
his shakey hand over my friends. It was very tender.
Then my friend took over the feeding of the boy and using a fork and a spoon, fed the boy.
The serving of pasta was enormous and I was only able to finish half (well, maybe a little more)
of mine, but the boy ate the whole plate of pasta and really was hungry.
I was deeply touched but not surprised as this farang friend has demonstrated care-giving and
extending kindness and money to those in need before, but this was most special.
The boy indicated that he had stopped drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes at a doctor's
advise. His English is limited and we aren't clear if he is seeing a doctor or not.
Each of us gave the lad, 100B. but of course this is just a drop in the bucket but will get him thru the day. The boy did talk about a British farang who had promised to bring him to a big
hospital but it was very unclear when and it appears that this farang is not in Thailand now.

The query is basically what can be done for the boy. Is this appropriate for Thais4Life to get
involved with?
I wanted to discuss this all with Erich, the boss who had previoulsly explained the illness to us and is providing the boy with employment, but he wasn't around.
We are fairly ignorant about this disease but maybe someone has some experience or knowledge.

I cannot take on this boy, unlike the very admirable efforts of oogleman at gaytingtong.com
but perhaps just advising and informing other gay Pattaya expats and visitors of this situation
might led to something. It is heart wrenching to see this formerly very healthy looking
and very cute guy, unable to move fluidly and obviously having a problem.

This boy, nick named Boy, is very personable and handsome and well known from his
time working in various bars in Pattaya and on Jomtien Beach.
I am going to think more about this but if someone cares to get involved and meet him,
it might start the ball rolling.
I hope this thread serves a purpose and maybe we can all do something good for Boy.
Perhaps, there is an angel out there in cyberland or perhaps some of us can think of
a way to make a difference.
I am very aware that there is need everywhere and I have
no desire or interest in starting a charity. [u]My sole purpose is to reach out to the gay
Pattaya community and let everyone know of a situation and hope some of us can help out. :cat

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, sometimes called Maladie de Charcot, or, in the United States, Lou Gehrig's Disease) is a progressive, usually fatal, neurodegenerative disease caused by the degeneration of motor neurons, the nerve cells in the central nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement. As a motor neuron disease, the disorder causes muscle weakness and atrophy throughout the body as both the upper and lower motor neurons degenerate, ceasing to send messages to muscles. Unable to function, the muscles gradually weaken, develop fasciculations (twitches) because of denervation, and eventually atrophy because of that denervation. The patient may ultimately lose the ability to initiate and control all voluntary movement except for the eyes.

No test can provide a definite diagnosis of ALS, although the presence of upper and lower motor neuron signs in a single limb is strongly suggestive. Instead, the diagnosis of ALS is primarily based on the symptoms and signs the physician observes in the patient and a series of tests to rule out other diseases. Physicians obtain the patient's full medical history and usually conduct a neurologic examination at regular intervals to assess whether symptoms such as muscle weakness, atrophy of muscles, hyperreflexia, and spasticity are getting progressively worse.

Prognosis
Regardless of the part of the body first affected by the disease, it is usual for muscle weakness and atrophy to spread to other parts of the body as the disease progresses. It is important to remember that some patients with ALS have an arrested course with no progression beyond a certain point despite extensive follow-up. Such a pattern is particularly true for young males with predominant upper limb weakness especially on one side (so-called monomelic or Hirayama type motor neuron disease). Eventually people with ALS will not be able to stand or walk, get in or out of bed on their own, or use their hands and arms. In later stages of the disease, individuals have difficulty breathing as the muscles of the respiratory system weaken. Although ventilation support can ease problems with breathing and prolong survival, it does not affect the progression of ALS. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. However, about 10 percent of those individuals with ALS survive for 10 or more years.

Its heartbreaking to read stories like this.

What needs to be done now is a diagnosis to 100% confirm this is what he is suffering from. If it is you can see from the info above the prognosis is not very good.

As i have left Thailand i cant organise this but if somebody sets up a fund/group i would be more than willing to help in improving his life quality and help to buy symptom alleviating drugs etc.

You can read more about the disease here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyotrophi ... _sclerosis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis)

[markie1]

Its heartbreaking to read stories like this.

What needs to be done now is a diagnosis to 100% confirm this is what he is suffering from. If it is you can see from the info above the prognosis is not very good.

As i have left Thailand i cant organise this but if somebody sets up a fund/group i would be more than willing to help in improving his life quality and help to buy symptom alleviating drugs etc.

You can read more about the disease here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyotrophi ... _sclerosis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis)
It sounds to me like some kind of MS,only my younger brother got MS at a very young age 17 and with time the muscles started to give way ,although hes 40 now still manages on medication,but unfirtunately wheel chair bound. i think the best thing they can do with this guy is get a correct diagnosis on him ,if any one is willing to help this guy to do that then i will be more than willing to help in the contribution towards the costs . Its so sad for these guys when you here of things like this ,they have done you all good in the past ,so at a time like this it is nice to give some thing back and help this guy hopefully on a road to a slightly longer life
markie

I stand to be corrected but I would think from previous discussions that this would be a case that Thais4Life would become involved in. They have some funds available to help those who have no other means of support and getting treatment for illness.

[Wesley]

Having dealt with this kind of situation for years now, there really is little that can be done except to make him as comfortable as you can. Just to get a diagnosis may be expensive. I have spent less on kids who just needed HGH for slow growth. I would suspect if the Expiates who are there do not follow though you can only hope to help intermittently. Although I have helped Tha├пs for Life I find it hard to imagine how they would react, since this is or may be long term. We often have more compassion for those who deserve it less. However, I would be willing to help when I am there should I know that some one would be responsible for his welfare after I leave.

Wes

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, sometimes called Maladie de Charcot, or, in the United States, Lou Gehrig's Disease).


This is the disease that the actor David_Niven (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Niven) died of in 1983.

Why don't the Thais do something for their own people?

in response to curios - pharmacutical companies are greedy - this is what the WHO says it costs to treat hiv pos thais:

MSF has witnessed the development of the Thai AIDS treatment program. Generic production is the cornerstone of Thailand's universal HIV/AIDS treatment program. Before generic production, the cost of standard HIV/AIDS treatment in Thailand was more than 33,330 baht per patient per month (US $924), and only 3,000 people were getting treatment. Today, nearly 100,000 people are on ARVs, while approximately 100,000 more require it.

Both the WHO (in August 2005) and the World Bank (in August 2006) predicted dramatically rising drug costs in Thailand because of the second-line crisis. The average cost of second-line regimens in Thailand is estimated at 270,000 baht (USD $6,740), or roughly 14 times more than the average first-line regimen.

[catawampuscat]

Lets not be too quick to judge a gone away again poster Tales of horrible illnesses and not just of buffalo are all too common ways to extract baht out of well meaning farangs. We cannot save the world, even if the stories are true.
This is a case of just being in Pattaya, going to Sunee Plaza and stopping by Sammys and looking for yourself. Buy Boy a drink or just watch him and even the most cynical among us will believe there is a serious illness.

Curious has a good point as well as to why Thais don't help each other. I can tell you from personal observation that the other boys working in the bar are very attentive to Boy, very kind and are not treating him like a leper but compassionately as fellow Thais.
Whether all the boys together,have any spare baht is questionable as the needs of each boy each are so great with families back in villages waiting for money and just enough to cover their own basic needs.
I have seen the boys working at Sammys hold Boys' drink and assist him and unfortunately help him smoke cigarettes but he says he has now stopped smoking them.
Help from Thais is usually family based and the extended family takes cares of each other but this is too big. The local Wat is another place to get help but again this type of situation is too big.

Oogleman has risen to the top of my list of gay men that I have high respect and esteem for.
His efforts over at his site GayTingTong are inspiring and he puts in the time and work to make
a dream come true for a sick guy whose days were numbered and now has a chance at a future for him and his family.. If we had a humanitarian award, he would be my nominee but alas one man cannot do everything and oogleman is back in Europe. Thanks for the additional info. Oogleman knows how to party but he also knows part of life is to give back and not just take. Too many of us are only here to take what we can for our own selfish pleasures..

There is another gay farang, whom I have been told has already donated many millions of US dollars to an orphanage in the Pattaya area and intends to leave them the bulk of his large estate. I only know him slightly but he is good friends with several other farangs I am friendly with he certainly understands we are all one big family and he is in the fortunate position to make a difference for many Thai children..

Perhaps, the best thing any of us can do is to stop at Sammys and look for ourselves, talk to
Erich and maybe buy Boy a Coke, if he is thirsty or "off" him and get to know him.
By the way, he is not asking for charity(aside from the usual 20B. requests from most Sunee boys), he is not begging but I imagine as the disease takes its toll, he will lose options have to do whatever he can to survive.. :cat:

[TOQ]

Cat, with your permission I will copy and paste the openning post to Ting Tong so those who dont read SGT will get a chance to read it and offer suggestions for help..


john

Cat, with your permission I will copy and paste the openning post to Ting Tong so those who dont read SGT will get a chance to read it and offer suggestions for help..


john


Good idea m8, that sites full of SOQ's who throw good money @ hookers :bounce: :cheers: :bigsmurf: :bom: :drunken:

[catawampuscat]

TOQ, good idea to repost on TingTong and any other moderator should feel free to do
as well..
I may be getting soft in the head, but I am not reading a gone away again poster as a troll but maybe
his style is just a bit more ironic than most. Not sure what SOQ means but it is true
that the guys at TingTong have been very generous with their time and money in taking
care of a boy most of all would not have lifted a hand to. Some of a gone away again poster other comments ring true in content but his style is certainly not run of the mill and certainly not boygeenyus as George mentioned earlier..

I admire the style of oogleman who listed all contributions and also lists how he spends
the money collected. Oogleman also posts photographs of the guy and one can see the new
clothes, shoes, change in appearance and attitude.. A picture is worth a thousand words or
something close to that..

I am also very impressed by Thais4Life and contribute to their good efforts.
It would be great if they could advise..
I greatly appreciate the pms I have received and especially from TOQ, already offering
assistance.
Serious matters such as this one sometimes cause certain people to react strangely, so lets
not call anyone a troll or accentuate the negative and see if we (all who read this) can do something positive. :cat:

[jinks]

"a gone away again poster" has been expunged as have the quoted items and comments only on this troll.

Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. However, about 10 percent of those individuals with ALS survive for 10 or more years.
This is the same disease from which the physicist Professor Stephen Hawking suffers. He has been a sufferer with it for 45 years, being first diagnosed when he was 21 in 1963. Hawking gradually lost the use of his arms, legs, and voice, and is now almost completely paralyzed. During a visit to the research centre CERN in Geneva in 1985, Hawking contracted pneumonia, which in his condition was life-threatening as it further restricted his already limited respiratory capacity. He had an emergency tracheotomy, and as a result lost what remained of his ability to speak. He has since used an electronic voice synthesizer to communicate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hawking

I think most people will be aware of this most notable sufferer of the disease and because of that the terrible effects it has.

[catawampuscat]

I am in receipt of a pm which indicated the strong possibility that Thais4Life will become
involved with Boy.
I have no reason to doubt the sender but he has asked that his handle not be published
and I hope the pm is sincere indeed. The sender indicated he had visited Sammys and
verified the situation but the situation may be more complex and needs more looking into..

I also understand that a prominent farang on this and other forums has had previous
experience assisting Boy with medical issues and appears to have renewed his interest but at the moment it is all somewhat cloudy.
Perhaps, he will decide to enter this thread and advise or perhaps
not, it is up to him.

Meanwhile, TOQ has taken an interest and if Boy agrees, we will consider publishing
photographs of him, as Boy is a very common nickname and I am sure some of you
will recognize him.
A group of us will try to get more information shortly and see what help is needed and
if we can do something to alleviate Boys condition.. :cat:

[Hmmm]

Well done catawampuscat. If I recall correctly it was one or two voices who alerted our community to the plight of Somporn some years ago, which eventually led to funds being raised for his kidney transplant. While no one on their own can do everything, it only took a few exceptional gentlemen to read those posts and make some phone calls and send some emails to hook Somporn up with the medical care that saved his life.

I would think that Dr Phillipe might be able to advise on the best course in this case.

thanks cat!

[martin911]

i am in Pattaya at the moment(until monday) and would like to make a contribution to help out this young man,but how do i go about that??

[Geezer]

It is not unusual for those who want funds given to some charitable cause to send, or give it to Wally at Thais4Life to be passed on to the appropriate party. Those who wish to give anonymously often do this.

If I recall correctly, it was mentioned in this thread that Thais4Life is already investigating this situation.

[catawampuscat]

Geezer has a good idea and I agree that any and all monies donated should be
thru Thais4Life. Nothing is in place yet, but frankly any donation to this group will
be used for a good cause, and someone in need will get fed, at the very least..
I have been in communication with the farang who has been helping Boy over the
years with his medical issues and he wishes to remain anonymous and I will respect
that 100%.
I met with TOQ tonite at Sammys and saw Boy, who looked and moved better than on
the previous evening. TOQ brought his digital camera, but we decided to wait a spell
before posting any photos..
I believe Boy saw his doctor today but due to communication issues, don't know more but
as I reported, he looked better and was still hungry.

Martin 911 should feel comfortable stopping by Sammys Restaurant/ Beer Bar in Sunee and meeting Boy.
I am sure he would love to sit with any of our forum community for a
Coke and any tip given would be appreciated.. He is good company and fun to be with and
this would be an immediate way to lend a hand..
Perhaps Boy has other needs like shoes, shirts or underwear, if one feels like taking him
shopping.. just some ideas.

On another note, Erich advised us that one of the other boys was taken to BKK Pattaya hospital for a scan and has bacterial menigitis. This guy used to work at All Boys and is
also full of personality. A farang benefactor paid the hosptial fee which was at least 30,000B.
and the boy is getting medication at a top hospital..
Apparently viral menigitis is far worse but I have to admit a lack of knowledge about this..
Good deeds are being done all the time by farangs in Sunee Plaza but we only hear about
the problems and the ugly side..
Kudos to the farang who took care of this Thai, who would
not have been properly diagnosed without expensive testing and high tech equipment.
Note: spell check still not working and the spacing of the letters looks strange on my
screen.

Hi cat, I just wanted to add my congrats to what yourself and others are accomplishing in Sunee, along with the involvement of Thia's For Life, who are renowned for the superb work they do and have been doing for some time now. I am really impressed with the caring nature many of you are showing toward the community there and can tell you first hand from the many Thai friends I have, that what you guys are doing, along with what has been done recently, is being noticed by them and they are very grateful and appreciative.

I believe that whilst I have always witnessed good relationships among the Thai and Farang community in Sunee over the past decade and some years, it seems to be better at present than it has ever been.

With regard to your statement above cat of: Good deeds are being done all the time by farangs in Sunee Plaza but we only hear about the problems and the ugly side. I would like to say that I believe that the type of people that make ugly comments about Sunee and false and unfair claims about everyone that goes there, obviously know nothing about the spirit and comradeship of the Sunee community. This is because of the obvious reason, that they never go there and base their accusations on nothing more than hearsay and malicious and spiteful rumours.

Personally, my attitude toward those type of people is; fuck them. Those of us that attend Sunee on a regular basis and have been doing so for many years, know the real truth and, as well as knowing that the large majority of accusations levied at the community in Sunee, is based on totally unfounded gossip and rumours and is nothing more, than a crock of shit.

I was contacted by a fellow member of Sawatdee today whom resides overseas, who has been so impressed with what he has been hearing and reading about Sunee of late, that he has informed me, that he would like to make a donation to be used when needed in cases such as the one you have highlighted of late. He has further indicated to me, that he would like to set up this donation to the Thai community in Sunee, so that it can be made on a regular monthly basis. I was delighted to hear of his intentions and will give an update on this, after I talk to him again next week.

So once again, well done all you guys for your kind acts, keep up the good work. My feelings toward those that will without doubt make snide comments about what is being done in Sunee and knock the farangs who are doing it, are the exact same sentiments as those of mine above toward those spiteful old Queens, fuck them too. These type are probably only interested in selfishly helping, no one but themselves.


Choc Dee Guys and power to you. :salute:



George.