Ven. Gyatso contracted polio at the age of 15. The result for him was his spine was twisted and a large hump appeared. From then he suffered regular bouts of intense pain in his back/abdomen. His internal organs were displaced because of the twist in his spine and even though he knew the risks of surgery were great he also knew that as he got older he would probably have other problems to cope with all stemming from his back deformity. When a kind surgical Professor offered to operate (gratis) my friend, after several months of tests, hospital visits, consultations etc decided to go ahead with the surgery as he felt it would mean he would have a better chance of not becoming dependent on others later on in life (he is in his late 30's now).
Two days after the surgery he unfortunately suffered from a serious infection to his lungs. He was put on a ventilator. I just spoke with a nurse on the ward where he is and she told me although he is still on the ventilator he is in fact awake which is good news.
Ven P. Gyatso is a dedicated, very kind, transparent individual who is also a great artist. He painted the Tara image I use as an avatar. Here are some of his other art works:
Thank you.
Regards,
