President Obama

My brother-in-law, Hendri Anderson, came to this country with a visa and subsequent to his arrival experienced complete renal failure (his kidneys filter 0% of his blood). He is completely reliant upon dialysis. Thankfully a charitable organization in conjunction with St. John's Hospital in Tulsa Oklahoma is providing him dialysis three times a week. The problem is, however, that his visa has now expired and the United States government is requesting that Hendri return home. This would be a death sentence for Hendri.

The entire country of Indonesia has approximately 250 dialysis centers, less than many cities do in the United States. Additionally, the nearest dialysis center to the village where my brother-in-law lives and has support systems in, Manado, is a two-hour drive away. Most of the 250 dialysis centers in Indonesia are limited in their clientele, as they can afford to be due to the sparse availability of dialysis treatment nationwide, and have extensive waiting lists. To be exact, the dialysis center closest to the village my brother lives in costs 1,600 US dollars a month for treatment. Unfortunately, Hendri's family, myself included, can nowhere near sustain that level of monthly support. Especially the poor do not receive dialysis services and the government there allows them to die if they do not have money to pay for services. In addition to Hendri's need for dialysis, he constantly has medical complications related to his treatment. Most recently, this week, Hendri was seen by a doctor to assess the potential need for surgery because of an intense swelling and blockage in his arteries.

The point is that Hendri will die if he is sent back to Indonesia. Something has to be done. Hendri is a human being. What separates the United States, a country of immigrants, from the rest of the world is our civility and compassion, our allowance for the pursuit of happiness and our protection of those oppressed and in need.

People have been granted amnesty in the United States for far less causalities. This man will die if he is sent back to Manado, Indonesia, in Third World conditions, where there are no dialysis centers and where waiting lists and costs of treatment (in other cities where he has no place to live and no family) would prohibit his survival. I have attached some health statistics to bear out this truth in more certainty. An officer from immigration customs enforcement in Oklahoma told me that one of the major concerns would be whether or not Hendri could endure the flight home. I relayed this comment to a local psychologist and friend and I was met with feedback explaining that kind of thinking is "no different than murder... actually its premeditated murder," he said; among the many others that I relayed the ICE Official’s comments to the same kind of response resonated in them all.

We're desperate for help for our brother. He is a human being and his circumstances necessitate his death under our immigration law. Is this something America wants to put its stamp of approval on? Anything you can do to help would be appreciated.


Thank you for your consideration,


Aric Thorpe, MHR
Tulsa, OK
aricthorpe@cox.net
918.850.0618