An appeal

I am not very good at doing this but I was touched after receiving a letter from a priest from Zejtun about a very sad story of an 18-year old girl from his town.

Marylene Debono was born with bilateral dislocation of the hip. She is mentally normal and her only handicap is her mobility. All conservative treatment failed to realign the hip, due to a very rare neuromuscular condition similar to muscular dystrophy.

This unfortunate girl has to go to Hammersmith Hospital twice a year to be assessed on her progression regarding the neuromuscular condition. Over the last four years, Ms Debono has not become weaker and is in fact improving her functional abilities. She undergoes regular physiotherapy and other therapy at a huge expense to her family as, due to her frequent sitting and calipers to walk, she also developed scoliosis.

Her parents naturally have to carry most of the financial burden and their financial situation deteriorated further due to the father's unfortunate development of a heart problem which rendered him unfit to carry out strenuous work. And because he is illiterate his work opportunities are very limited.

Ms Debono's parents are now in a big financial dilemma and require our help.

You may donate your contribution as follows:

• HSBC account -056-050925-051.

• Angelli Debono, 15, Triq Lorenzo Gafa, Zejtun

• Also by cheque addressed to me but payable to Angelli Debono (Marylene's mother)

For any donation of Lm15 and over which is sent to my address, I will personally deliver a nice water biscuit plant (galletta) which I grow and are worth Lm7.50 each if bought from a flower nursery.