Posts Tagged ‘prosthetic’

Baby Elephant Update

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

In addition to building prosthetic limbs for elephants (like Mosha and Motala) that step on landmines, the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital also treats elephants for everything from illness to injuries.

Elephant Kamnoi pets Baby "Dante" at FAE.

Elephant Kamnoi pets Baby "Dante" at FAE.

On February 18, 2010 we announced that  Soraida Salwala, Founder of the FAE Elephant Hospital and featured in the elephant conservation documentary, The Eyes of Thailand, shared the successful birth of a new baby elephant on February 15.  One day later, Kamnoi and her healthy baby boy, whom they’ve since named Dante, arrived at FAE. To read the blog post, click here.

Baby elephant Dante attempts to nurse at FAE's Elephant Hospital.

Baby Elephant Dante attempts to nurse at FAE's Elephant Hospital.

I am happy to report that Kamnoi and Dante are continuing to bond, although he sometimes needs to get a boost to reach his mother to nurse!

Baby Dante gets a boost from FAE staff to nurse.

Baby Dante gets a boost from FAE staff to nurse.

Dr. Preecha and the staff at FAE are also supplementing his mother’s milk with goat’s milk.  Soriada wrote to explain:

Mother of Baby “Dante” does not have enough milk. She is feeding him but the milk is not enough. So, when he is still hungry, we feed him with goat milk.

Kamnoi watches as Dr. Preecha feeds Baby Dante at FAE.

Kamnoi watches as Dr. Preecha feeds Baby Dante at FAE.

Please send good thoughts for Dante to continue to grow to Soraida and her staff at FAE’s Elephant Hospital.  We’ll send updates as they come!

Sincerely,

Windy Borman

Director, Producer and Writer, The Eyes of Thailand

Dr. Preecha feeds Baby Dante at FAE.

Dr. Preecha feeds Baby Dante at FAE.

Elephant landmine survivors will receive new prostheses

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

On February 26, 2010, Soraida Salwala, Founder of the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital and featured in the elephant conservation documentary, The Eyes of Thailand, wrote to share:

Motala and Mosha are the same. Mosha is not happy since she could not wear the prosthetic leg last week. We are looking forward to the new ones being made on The National Elephant Day (13 March).

We look forward to sharing the new pictures of Mosha and Motala, two elephant landmine survivors also featured in The Eyes of Thailand, walking on their new prostheses next week.  Please check back after March 13, 2010.

-Windy Borman

Director, Producer and Writer, The Eyes of Thailand

Elephant Poem #3

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Corinne Morton taught her 6th Grade Science classes in Ithaca, NY (USA) about the plight of elephants in the wild and captivity. Inspired by The Eyes of Thailand trailer, three students wrote poems about Thai elephants.  Below is the final poem:

Thailand Elephants Cry for Help!

by Sequoia Kay-Hill age 11 Boynton Middle School

Thailand Elephants are from crying for help
With a Voice that must be heard
From being beaten, starved, maimed and distraught
From wandering earth with only one purpose
To be in a circus, zoo or working at a logging station
To make money and entertain tourists
From all over the world
To walking the streets begging for food
From elephants taking people on rides
Doing gymnastics in the streets
From little baby elephants being taken away from their parents
To be starved for days on end, broken into submission

Thailand elephants are from crying for help
With a voice that must be heard
Elephants are from emotions
From shedding one solitary tear from their eyes
From happy moments
To sad and depressing ones

Thailand elephants are from crying for help
With a voice that must be heard
Thailand Elephants are from the joy of seeing friends again
From being cared for by smiling faces and friendly hands
From comfortable sanctuary instead of a life of torture
From seeing that someone cares for them
From spraying themselves with water from a pond
To roaming free

Thailand elephants are from crying for help
With a voice that must be heard
From stepping on land mines
To having loving people make prosthetic legs for them
From having a broken leg, yet still having to work
From elephant hospitals starting to arise
From people caring for these fascinating beings

Thailand elephants are from crying for help
With a voice that must be heard
People this cruelty must stop
Ring out with your voices
Think with your hearts
How could this go on for so long
Our fellow creatures are in trouble
And need our help
Always remember
Speak with your heart
The voice for elephants

Thank you to Ms. Morton and all her students who continue to fight to save elephants!

Sincerely,

Windy Borman

Producer, Director and Writer, The Eyes of Thailand

New Photos of Mosha

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Please enjoy the new photos of Mosha, taken on February 12, 2010 by a member of Collecting Smiles Club.

Mosha. (photo credit: Collecting Smiles Club)

Mosha (photo credit: Collecting Smiles Club)

Mosha (which means Star in the Karin language) is a 3-year old Asian Elephant at the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital. When she was 7-months old, Mosha stepped on a landmine along the Thai-Burma border. Her owner donated her to FAE, where Soraida Salwala and her staff could rehabilitate and care for her.

Mosha, with chalk on her amputated leg, which helps reduce the irritation of wearing her prosthetic leg. (photo credit: Collecting Smile Club)

Mosha, with chalk on her amputated leg, which helps reduce the irritation of wearing her prosthetic leg. (photo credit: Collecting Smile Club)

When we first met Mosha in 2007, she was a curious 2-year old, who wobbled on three legs.  When we returned in August 2009, Producer/Director Windy Borman filmed Mosha receiving a prosthetic limb from the Prostheses Foundation for the documentary, The Eyes of Thailand.

Mosha with a member of the FAE staff at the Elephant Hospital. (photo credit: Collecting Smiles Club).

Mosha with a member of the FAE staff at the Elephant Hospital. (photo credit: Collecting Smiles Club).

To see Mosha’s progression over the years, please click here.

Sincerely,

Windy Borman

Producer, Director and Writer, The Eyes of Thailand

New Prostheses for Elephants Motala & Mosha

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Motala and Baby Mosha each received their new prostheses from the Prostheses Foundation.  Both Asian Elephants are survivors of landmine accidents and star in the feature-length elephant conservation documentary, The Eyes of Thailand.

Motala stepped on a landmine on August 15, 1999.  She received her first prosthetic limb 10 years later, on August 16, 2009.  After a brief set-back, she slowly began to put more and more weight on the prosthetic limb as she learned to walk with it.  On December 25, 2009, she received a new foot pad for the prosthesis.

The Prostheses Foundation gave Motala's prosthesis a new foot pad.

The Prostheses Foundation gave Motala's prosthesis a new foot pad.

Mosha stepped on a landmine in June 2006.  Because she was younger (only 7 months old), her wounds healed faster and the Prostheses Foundation built a prototype for a prosthetic elephant’s leg for her in June 2008.  This is Mosha’s fourth prosthesis and she will need more throughout her lifetime as she continues to grow.

Mosha's new prosthesis, January 2, 2010.

Mosha's new prosthesis, January 2, 2010.

The Prostheses Foundation checked on Mosha’s and Motala’s prostheses on December 22, 2009.  Soraida Salwala, founder of the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital outside of Lampang, Thailand, expected them to receive their new prostheses on January 2, 2010.

Happy Holidays!

-Windy Borman

Producer, Writer and Director, The Eyes of Thailand

P.S. The Eyes of Thailand is currently accepting donations to edit and distribute the film in 2010.  You can make a tax-deductible donation through the film’s fiscal sponsor, the San Francisco Film Society, by clicking here. Thank you for your support!


SFGate covers “The Eyes of Thailand”

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

The San Francisco Chronicle covered The Eyes of Thailand Work-in-Progress Clip premiere on October 21, 2009.  Here is an excerpt:

Having shot movies on four continents, San Francisco filmmaker Windy Borman had seen it all - until she came across the world’s first elephant hospital in Thailand two years ago, where the enormous patients were being treated for everything from eye infections to gunshot wounds. In July, when she heard that some elephants at the hospital, victims of exploding land mines, were getting new legs, Borman raised some quick cash, jumped on a plane and finished shooting “The Eyes of Thailand,” a documentary about the hospital, to be released next year. We caught a clip of the film last week at a post-production fundraiser in North Beach. Trust us: You haven’t seen anything until you’ve watched an Asian elephant in the forest take its first steps on a prosthetic leg. Jaws hit the floor.

To read the rest of the article, add your comments and forward the link, please click here.

Thank you to everyone who came to the post-production fundraiser for The Eyes of Thailand on Oct 21, 2009! The documentary is timely, poignant, heartfelt and needs to be distributed in 2010 to tell the world about the plight of endangered Asian Elephants.

To make an online tax-deductible donation through the film’s fiscal sponsor, The San Francisco Film Society, please visit http://www.eyesofthailand.com and click “Donate Now”.

We are seeking post-production funds to edit and distribute The Eyes of Thailand in 2010. For more information, contact Producer/Director Windy Borman at: info@eyesofthailand.com

Thank you!

Windy Borman
Producer, Writer and Director, The Eyes of Thailand

New “Eyes of Thailand” clip unveiled Oct 21 at 7pm

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

Come celebrate an amazing year with the friends and crew of The Eyes of Thailand documentary film!

King of Thai Noddle

King of Thai Noodle

1268 Grant Ave

(between Fresno St & Vallejo St)

San Francisco, CA 94133

(415) 391-8219

7pm: Start the evening with a Thai-inspired cocktail, order some savory treats, and sample the delicious Elephant Chocolates by Choclatique.

8pm: World Premiere of the new work-in-progress clip of “The Eyes of Thailand”, featuring the August 16, 2009 footage of Mosha and Motala—two elephant landmine survivors—walking on their new prosthetic limbs!

A brief Q&A with Producer/Director Windy Borman will follow, then it’s time for cocktails, mingling and dancing.

Suggested donation: $10.00

Please note that the production phase of the film is complete and we’re actively raising the “finishing funds” to edit and distribute the documentary in 2010. All donations made at the event, or online through our fiscal sponsor, the San Francisco Film Society, are tax-deductible.

If you cannot attend the event—or wish to make a tax-deductible donation ahead of time—please visit The Eyes of Thailand web page and Click the “Donate Now” link. It will connect you to the secure online donation page for the SFFS.

To learn more about the film, read the production blog or view the trailer (different than the new clip we’re unveiling at the party), please visit www.eyesofthailand.com

You can also follow our progress on FacebookIndiegogo and Twitter.

Thank you for all your continued support and I hope to see you there!

Best,

Windy Borman

Producer, Writer and Director, The Eyes of Thailand

P.S. For those of you outside the San Francisco Bay Area, I will post the new clip on Vimeo for 24 Hours and release the password after the October 21st event. Please stay tuned!

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Motala Update

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

I have received a few comments from people in the U.S. that they heard Motala’s first prosthesis broke.  I can confirm that, yes, the prosthetic limb did break.  It actually crumpled last week when she laid on it.  The good news is Friends of the Asian Elephant and the Prostheses Foundation worked together to repair and reinforce Motala’s prosthetic limb.

Staff from the Prostheses Foundation repairs and reinforces Motala's prosthetic.

Staff from the Prostheses Foundation repairs and reinforces Motala's prosthetic.

Motala's reapired prosthetic

Motala's repaired prosthetic

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As you can see, she is back on her feet and doing well!  Thank you for your support and please stay tuned for more updates.

Best,

Windy Borman

Producer, Writer and Director The Eyes of Thailand