A chance meeting with Boston based Steve Lynch could be the most fortunate event for 35-year-old Om Prakash of Udaipur, who is suffering from a genetically inherited disorder known as facial tumor. On his visit to Udaipur two months back, Steve happened to meet Om Prakash at Chandpol.

Om’s face is partially covered with additional lump of skin, also known as Plexiform Nuerofibromatosis which keeps growing with age.

Steve, a frequent traveler to India is also actively connected with Project Om Shanti, a network of people across United States and India committed to raising funds to send U.S doctors to India to perform extensive surgeries of other two Indian patients with facial tumors like Om Prakash.

Now, with the fund raising movement started by Steve, the life of Om Prakash might become normal, happier and healthier.

According to Steve, a team of doctors led by Surgeon Mckay McKinnon of Chicago with Dr. Subramaniam Iyer a senior surgeon from Kochi and Dr. Sumit Sehgal, a plastic surgeon and Rotary Club member from Udaipur will treat Om Prakash, Jayanthi and Silambarasam a brother-sister duo from Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai.

Om Prakash is a calm natured person and lives outside Chandpol with his mother and two brothers. He is jobless since long and spends his time visiting temples, meeting people around Chandpol, Lal Ghat area and is often found sitting at a tea stall near Art Issue, an art gallery.

It was the owner of Art Issue, Ms. Sharmila Rathore, who introduced Steve to Om when he visited her art gallery at Garia Devra, Chandpol two months back.

Steve Immediately started working for Om and added his name in the list with other two patients. “As I was already attached with Project Om Shanti and working for patients suffering from facial tumor, I recognized Om’s problem and started raising funds for him.”

It’s been few days since Steve has launched the fund raising campaign and he has received satisfactory response from Udaipur and all over the world.

“The Rotary Club of United States has agreed to help with half of the amount in surgeries while the local Rotarians have also agreed to support the cause,” Steve told UT.

Dr. McKinnon has successfully done many similar surgeries in his 30 year career; one of the latest and most complicated was removing a 198lb tumor from a Vietnamese man’s leg.

Om Prakash’s unusual appearance might turn your eyes away from him, but please don’t let your heart turn away from helping him, at least for the sake of humanity.

To help or to reach Steve Lynch, please visit this link http://projectomshanti.org/Contact_Us__How_to_Help.html or email Steve at stevelynch50@hotmail.com or contact Ms.Sharmila Rathore on 9414473687 for donations and funds.

A minimum contribution of Rs.10/- will also be appreciated.