Thank you
Thank you
The recent article “Hilo’s Nagata is ‘Hero of the Month’” refers to our little girl, and this Thanksgiving weekend we are so thankful that we are able to celebrate Dara’s 9th birthday.
Just six months ago, Dara was struck with encephalitis (swelling of her brain) from an unknown origin, and after a seizure fell into a coma. She was (transported) from Hilo to Kapiolani hospital on Oahu.
The medical team at Kapiolani (doctors, nurses, specialists, therapists and staff) treated Dara and our family with the highest quality of care, respect and support to provide Dara with the medical healing as she languished in a coma for 11 days and in the hospital for 48 days.
Surely she would have passed on if it weren’t for an emergency and experimental craniotomy procedure for encephalitis patients. Even after surgery, we were told that these were “dark hours” and that Dara still may not survive. Upon surviving, we were told that Dara, nonetheless, has significant brain damage, which would mean that if and when she came out of the coma, it was unknown what, if any, purposeful physical and/or cognitive functioning she would have.
By a miracle, Dara not only survived but is making an amazing recovery. For this, we not only credit Dara for her fighting spirit but also Dara’s medical team and all of our family and friends. Our family, friends and even people have yet to meet, all selflessly provided Dara and our family with love, strength, support, prayers, hope, faith, comfort and guidance.
Across the sea, the Big Island community lifted our little girl to prayers, and now, by the grace of God, we are thankful to be able to celebrate Dara’s 9th birthday with her.
We will be forever thankful to all those who helped in Dara’s recovery.
Ron and Darien Nagata
Hilo
Support for seniors
(Recently) I attended a transportation commission meeting. As a senior, I needed to voice our (seniors’) frustration with transportation in Hilo.
The county vans work very hard and cannot be the only means that works for us; there are not enough drivers or vans. Taxi service with coupons rarely works in our favor because the drivers either charge $1 per package, and we are lucky if we get them to come!
Buses are not covering and are not so accessible because two of the senior centers are on Kinoole Street, and the buses are not. Bus passes seem to be a little complicated and inefficient.
Kokua to seniors who sometimes find it hard for them to voice the difficulty to go to doctors, hospitals, get supplies/food. Please get involved and help fix this huge problem for a very large part of our population.
Holit Bat-Edit
Hilo
‘Big-time saver’
Darryl Oliveira, Hawaii County Civil Defense administrator, has once again distinguished himself (Tribune-Herald, “Hawaii officials testify,” Nov. 20).
First, Mr. Oliveira has served as county fire chief and now as Civil Defense coordinator. He has expertly and tirelessly been on the forefront of county efforts to manage the planning and response operations of the lava flow in Puna.
On Wednesday, Nov. 20, he added another mark of distinction to his portfolio: big-time saver of county tax dollars.
Notice that Mr. Oliveira testified before a Washington, D. C., subcommittee by way of electronic video-conferencing. Think how much Hawaii County money he saved by utilizing this means of testifying — no per diem, travel expenses, time away from the job — money and time that could be better spent in Puna helping with the preparation and response efforts there.
What a good example Mr. Oliveira has set for others, especially when the money he saved belonged to the taxpayers anyway.
So, thank you, Mr. Oliveira, for keeping one eye on the lava, and your other eye on the pocket books of county taxpayers.
Richard Dinges
Hilo