THERAVADA BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

4406 Windy Hill Road, Randallstown, MD 21133

Phone: (443) 272-7168

Dear Dhamma Friends:

As you may already be aware, Sayadaw U Mahaosadha Pandita suffered a stroke and was hospitalized at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 3, 2010, under the care of Dr. Thaw Poon. Because of the stroke, Sayadaw U Mahao lost his ability to speak and to use the entire right side of his body.

Currently, Sayadaw U Mahao is recuperating in the Rehabilitation Unit (Room 912) of Mercy Hospital. He is undergoing physiotherapy and speech therapy. He is improving, and is now able to sit up, stand up briefly with assistance, and speak some words. His first words are “arahan, sammam-buddhao ….”, etc., the Nine Attributes of the Buddha.

Sayadaw U Mahao will continue his treatment at the Rehabilitation Unit as long as he continues to show improvement in his locomotion and communication abilities. Ko Maung Maung Sai and other young members of TBAA in and around the Baltimore area, and U Htun Htun from St. Paul, Minnesota, are taking turns to stay day and night at the hospital to look after Sayadaw. Many members of TBAA take turns visiting the Sayadaw every day, providing moral support, talking to the Sayadaw in Burmese to help expedite his speech recovery, and bringing various Burmese foods so that he will want to eat and thereby get good nutrition and regain his strength.

We are also making preparations of Sayadaw U Mahao’s room at the temple so that a whell chair can fit through doors and move up ramps, and providing various furniture and paraphernalia so that Sayadaw can move about easily. We anticipate that Sayadaw U Mahao will be discharged from the Rehabilitation Unit after about 1-2 months of rehabilitation therapy.

While Sayadaw U Mahao’s medical expenses are mostly covered by MediCare, there are also a lot of health-related expenses. We are arranging for Sayadaw U Kavisara, Sayadaw U Mahao’s brother, to come to our temple. We have applied for a visa for U Nandaka, Sayadaw U Mahao’s relative, to come to the US to provide health care to Sayadaw U Mahao. We have also applied to the UN INS to grant a R1 visa to U Osadhasara, currently in the United Kingdom. Thus, we anticipate that in the very near future there will be a lot of Sangha at the temple who will provide religious support and companionship to Sayadaw U Mahao when he returns.

TBAA members and many dhamma friends are donating to help with the expenses.

We are requesting your donation to TBAA, earmarked for Sayadaw U Mahaosadha Health Care Expense Fund. TBAA is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt religious organization. Donations to TBAA are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Please send your check payable to TBAA, and annotate on the check: “For U Mahaosadha Health Care Expense Fund”.

If you want to donate things that will be useful for Sayadaw U Mahao’s health care (such as wheel chair, etc.), or donate your time to look after Sayadaw at the rehabilitation unit, please call the Vezayantar Kyaung (443-272-7168) to discuss with Sayadaw U Eindasara.

Ven. U Eindasara

Secretary & Treasurer

April 27, 2010

+++++