An Dmporkrnt Letter from the vutcir JII4eher ÂśBabi EJ1erpetua1 J2ublic Charitabk 7rust
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March 16th 2006 To pilgrims with serious ilkiesses who plan to travel to India Dear Baba Pilgrims, Since Beloved Avatar Meher Baba dropped His body in 1969 to forever dwell in the hearts of His lovers, an ever-increasing number of Baba-lovers have been coming for pilgrimage to His final resting-place and home in India. As the number ofpilgrims to Meherabad keeps increasing, so too does the number of Baba byers who arrive at Meherabad with some serious medical problem. We are sending this circular to encourage all those with serious illnesses planning to travel to Meherabad for pilgrimage to understand the responsibilities that they are taking on as part of such ajoumey. Among illnesses that are considered serious are: cancer, heart disease, AIDS, emphysema and F other serious respiratory illness severe asthma unstable neurological disorders (such as MS), unstable diabetes, major psychiatric disorders (especially those managed by medication), handicaps such as paraplegia, etc. If a Baba lover is suffering from AIDS and has active infections, or the immune system is deeply affected, then a visit to India would place that person at great : risk. We are not prepared to manage medical [ conditions in unstable AIDS patients. Many people with serious medical condi tions have made a successful pilgrimage to the Beboved home without serious complications. However, it can be difficult or impossible for us to .
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Irene Holt making reservations in the new computer room.
provide care at Meherabad if adequate prepara
give our all for the sake of those precious ones who come here to Baba with their hearts open for Him. See you soon, in the new PRO.! For reservations, please note that our address and email address remain the same, but our telephone number is changed. Contact: Pilgrim Reservations Avatar Meher Baba Trust Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road, Post Bag 31 Ahmednagar, 414001 (MS) INDIA Pimco@ambppct.org ,
+91-241-254-8733
tions have not been made well in advance. Any Baba lover with a serious illness should consult with their doctor to make sure the condi
tion is stable enough for the trip to Meherabad and get their approval before undertaking a pilgrimage. When a visitor arrives with a serious illness that is unstable then it can place their life in
great danger and seriously compromises our ability to help. We need to be informed well in advance about pilgrims with serious or disabling illnesses (that are in a stable condition) before they make plans for their trip. When you write to the Pilgrim Reservations Office ofthe Trust to inquire about accommodations at Meherabad, please openly state in your letter (or e-mail) whatyour medical disorder is and the status of that illness. We will then be able to start planning how to help you. The Pilgrim Reservations Office may then forward your letter to the medical staffwho may get in touch with you and advise you further on how to minimize your discomfort in traveland dufing your stay. Your letter would be kept confidential
Chairman
and discussed only with those individuals who directly need to assist you. Patients with serious psychiatric conditions should not discontinue their medication if they
are planning to come to India. The rigors of international travel can place a great strain on an individual psychiatric condition. Managing a nervous breakdown at Meherabad when a person
has discontinued or reduced their psychiatric medicines can be extremely distressing to that person and to other pilgrims. Staying on a stable dose of medication will help keep the condition
in balance. Ifyou are unsure about what precautions you need to take, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate to get in touch with the Pilgrim Reservations Office or our medical staffdirectly. Women planning to arrive in India while they are pregnant should also inform us. Medicalfacilities and medical care atMeherabad are very limited and many ofthe medical facilities in Ahmednagar do not meet even the minimal
standards of reasonable care. The closest city where better care is provided is Pane. The hospi tabs in Pune are at an uncomfortable three hours
drive from Meherabad. Unfortunately, a fully equipped ambulance with adequately trained
personnelis not available. Despite the significant improvement in roads and vehicles over the years, the ride is still quite bumpy and in several recent emergencies the pilgrim has arrived in a critical condition at the hospital in Pune. Once in the hospital, the patiens food, drinkingwater, purchaseofbasic medicines, and special care are all provided by the patient attendants (family members or friends) Someone has to be with the patient during the day and someone sleeps in the same room at night. Making ar rangements for the transfer to Pune, for roundthe-clock attendants and for the hospitalization itself, puts a great strain on the pilgrim, their family, the Meherabad/Meherazad resident staff and the mandali. We are prompted to send out this important information to our Baba family by our concern for you in your love for the Beloved. We know that you will understand that our most sincere wish is to help as many as we can to come for pilgrimage to bow down at His feet in their deep love for Him. For that we need your co operation. AVATAR MEHER BABA KIJAI!!! Note: We are sending out this important announcement for Babas beloved family in your .
area: Please include the entire contents of this flier in your newsletters, without any alteration ofthe text, so that all in your area may be able to get this notice. And again please note, this is for pilgrims with serious or disabling illnesses, not
for those who are healthy.
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