the generosity that everyone has showed is truly wonderful. saving a life is never a cause in vain.
this raises other issues, though. how many others in poor countries don't have a high profile athlete in the states to bring their stories attention? after reading tracy kidder's book about Paul Farmer (Mountains Beyond Mountains, a great read), I can't help but feel guilty that it takes illness striking someone like Kiplagat to bring attention to a single case of calamity in a country where many more are dying due to the lack of cheap, basic healthcare. admittedly, heart surgery isn't cheap or basic, but other things like TB, preventable with very accessible drugs, run rampant in these poor countries. it shouldn't take a high profile figure like Richard Kiplagat or a genius like Paul Farmer to bring the basics of medicine to the poor countries of the world.