Who Gives? The Good Samaritan

Sian Hughes and her family travelled to Sri Lanka in 2004 for a beach holiday but instead found themselves in the midst of one of Asia’s greatest catastrophes as a massive tsunami swept along the coastline.

She and her family — husband Tony and children Sam (11), Rosie (10) and Matilda (6) — were staying in a resort when the disaster struck.

“We were in a Dutch-built part of the resort so our building was stronger than those built recently by the Sri Lankans. People were starting to climb on to our balcony,” Sian says.

She and her husband pulled their children to safety. It was then time to swing into action.

“It was easier to be a doctor than to be a mother. I had a role. I was important and I was focused and able to help. So I left the kids and Tony to go and help the people.”

Sian worked non-stop for five days. “I had lots of people with chest pains, broken bones, flesh ripped by barbed wire. There were more Sri Lankans dead than foreigners because many couldn’t swim.”

She and her family stayed on even after the British embassy came to evacuate stranded tourists.

“The local people looked after us with freshly baked bread, dahl and rice. They were so grateful. I set up a little clinic. I had my medical kit and I had the word out. The French travel with loads of medical supplies which they gave me and, when we ran out of antiseptic, we used travellers’ French perfume.”

Sian and her family have also supported a local family they met on the beach before the tsunami struck, giving them money to rebuild their home.

And they have worked to collect surplus equipment from hospitals around Melbourne – foetal monitors, anaesthetic machines, etc. — to send to hospitals in Sri Lanka.

“Once we have enough to fill a 40-foot container we send it over to our contacts in Sri Lanka,” Sian says.

“I recently took over nine anaesthetic machines and some ventilators. It’s hard getting in on the other side but we work with people who are politically savvy. It’s about $5000 to send a container, and we have fundraisers with the Sri Lankan community here to raise the money.”

Sian returns to Sri Lanka at least twice a year to run medical clinics in the southern part of Sri Lanka.

“We take over a few doctors and we take a big supply of medication. We arrive at the school or a hall, we set up clinics and we get the local medical officers to send people along. We see arthritis, skin infections, and lots of asthma, scabies, and lice. We take blood pressure and do a diabetic screening and a worming treatment for all the kids.

“Many doctors bring their kids and the kids help. We take boxes of toys and my kids give them out. Sam, now 16, actually helps run the pharmacy and hands out ointments, etc. It’s such good fun and it’s a great feeling. At the end of the day we feel exhausted and thrilled we could help these people.”

Why does Sian give?

“There are so many ways to give,” Sian says. “It’s something people should do on holidays – wherever you are, meet the locals and see how you can help. It changes your relationship with that country and you go beyond being a tourist.

“My kids received $8000 in charitable gifts for their bar mitzvahs and we got the kids to get involved in how they would give to Sri Lanka. My son bought shoes for orphanages and school books and medications for the kids. It made my kids feel good about themselves .

“There’s so much you can do. On my 50th birthday I told friends not to bring me presents. I didn’t need a handbag or scarf. I asked them to donate money to Sri Lanka and we raised $700. We bought new toilets for the tiny little hospital there. There’s nothing more rewarding.”