Dental News - Dentist from Colorado among 10 aid workers killed in Afghanistan

Fred Michmershuizen, DTA

Mon. 9 August 2010

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Dr Thomas Grams, 51, an American dentist who had been working with humanitarian relief organizations for the past five years to provide free dental care in Afghanistan, was among a group of aid workers killed in a recent attack by the Taliban. Dr Grams had given up his dental practice in Durango, CO, USA, to work full time in the war-torn county.

According to published reports, a total of 10 medical relief volunteers — six Americans, two Afghans, a German and a Briton — were killed. According to the reports, the group had spent two weeks treating villagers in a remote valley in northern Afghanistan before being ambushed by extremists on their way back to Kabul.

Tim Grams, Dr Grams’ twin brother, told news organizations that his brother started traveling with relief organizations to Afghanistan, Nepal, Guatemala and India several years ago. After he sold his practice Dr Grams started going several months at a time, Tim Grams said.

“He was shocked by the dental condition of the villagers,” said Khris Nedam, founder of Kids 4 Afghan Kids, a humanitarian aid organization, in an online posting. “In one of our first conversations during his first visit he wondered if the children ate a lot of sugar. I replied no, their teeth are in such bad condition because of lack of dental care and malnutrition.”

“Dr Tom worked to teach the children how to brush their teeth and worked out a system to use his drills more efficiently given the limited amount of electricity,” Nedam said. “  He spoke to groups about his work in Afghanistan raising funds and organizing dental supplies to take with him. He also collected and transported hundreds of toothbrushes for the village families and at the same time, a desire grew within him to help the village in ways other than dental care.”

In addition to Dr Grams, the slain aid workers also included Dr Tom Little, an optometrist from Delmar, NY, USA; Glen Lapp, a nurse from Lancaster, PA, USA; and Cheryl Beckett, an expert in nutritional gardening and mother-child health from Knoxville, TN, USA.

“We are heartbroken by the loss of these heroic, generous people,” said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who condemned the Taliban for the deaths.

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