In the season of giving, it seems appropriate that the Muay Thai community and Tiger Muay Thai and MMA guests from around the world have come together in an effort to save the life of Tuptim, the daughter of TMT trainer Rattanachai.
Tuptim was diagnosed with a serious liver condition (Bilary Obstruction) and was given just weeks to live without a operation that is going to cost $50,000 or 2 million baht.
It was then that TMT videographer Danny Baci and MD Grainne Farrell, a TMT guest, jump-started an effort to raise funds to pay for the lifesaving operation.
TMT is giving support and will be auctioning off MMA and Muay Thai related items like autographed items by Royce Gracie, Roger Heurta, Phil Baroni and others, as well as trainers donating private lessons and more.
Even other Muay Thai gyms and people in the community have come together to help a child in need. The Phuket Gazette is running an article on the fund drive for Tuptim and people are doing everything they can to help.
If you can spare some time or money to lend to this effort to save a precious life please see SAVE TUPTIM
With the year coming to an end, this could be the most important thing
There will also be two parties on December 24 and 25 to come together and help Tuptim
On December 24 there will be a party at Yooniques in Nai Harn and Tiger Muay Thai Christmas BBQ Beatdown is dedicated to Tuptim with proceeds going to her fund.
Here is the info on Tuptim’s condition and situation:
Tiger Muay Thai Camp in Phuket is well known for it’s high class Muay Thai training, but now it will be famous for its community who have joined forces together to save a little girl’s life.
Kru Nai (Mr. Rattanachai Jadngooluem) is one of the Muay Thai trainers at the camp and is no stranger to a challenge. Kru Nai has an impressive fighting record of 3 X Lumpinee Champion wins at 3 weight classes and also World Muay Thai Champion title. However this time Kru Nai has a fight for life that he just can’t win on his own.
His 7-month old daughter, Tuptim, has been diagnosed with a Bilary Obstruction. Without adequate medical assistance from sadly overrun government hospitals, the condition has now been diagnosed as critical. The only option for Tuptim is a liver transplant as the liver has been damaged beyond repair. Tuptim has now been admitted into ICU as she is bleeding internally. Doctors are worried that she will die before the New Year without immediate medical attention.
The problem is the price. The costs are high starting at 1.5 million Thai Baht or around $50,000. Other costs are involved after the surgery due to the immunosuppressant drugs that each child needs for many years to follow. The bill for drugs for just one year runs in to tens of thousands of dollars. This means that this type of surgery is just not possible for the majority of Thai people. The average salary is somewhere between $150 and $300 per month.
Dr. Sumat and his medical team provide the only access in the country to what is called Parental Donor Liver Transplant. This is a pioneering type of medicine which is not yet a standard procedure and can’t be carried out by most surgeons. During this operation part of the parent’s liver is removed and placed in to the baby. The liver is the only organ in the body which can regenerate which is what makes this type of surgery feasible.
Tiger Muay Thai camp have called an emergency meeting to help fundraise immediately for little Tuptim. Part of the team is Grainne Farrell, MD for Lotus Medical International. Along with the General Manager of Tiger Muay Camp, Will Elliott and his team, Grainne will be charging ahead to fundraise the money required for this urgent operation.
“This is something very close to all of our hearts,” Grainne mentioned, “The family have now been told that Tuptim needs to be operated on within the month as her case is now critical. I guess we don’t have much time to get the ball rolling. It may not be an easy task to raise $50,000 plus in four weeks but I am sure that we can do it, we just need your help.”
The community behind the cause has spread right across the world, with people in the US, France and Australia rallying behind it.
Over the next few days Grainne Farrell and Will Elliott (Tiger Muay Thai) will look in to setting up proper financial services to receive money for the baby. Luke Richmond, who runs OLAC Adventures (a non-profit organization) has offered to take charity payments from corporations through his charity. For other smaller donations a Paypal account has been set up. Donations can be made using Grainne’s paypal account: [email protected]. Due to the time constraints, this payment method was the quickest available and the team are working a better solution, but time is not on their side.
With a facebook page “Save Tuptim” already active, hundreds of worldwide support and prayers, the fundraisers are hoping for a miracle that will save Tuptim’s life.
For media enquiries or any further enquiries regarding donations for the “Save Tuptim!” cause, please contact Zena Ellaz or Jacqueline Archer at [email protected]
