Dental Tribune US Edition, Vol. 5, No. 19

1/1 Advert Dr. Thomas Grams, 51, an Amer- ican dentist who had been working with humanitarian relief organiza- tions for the past five years to pro- vide free dental care in Afghanistan, was among a group of aid workers killed in an attack by the Taliban in August. Dr. Grams had given up his dental practice in Durango, Colo., to work full time in the war-torn county. A total of 10 medical relief volun- teers — six Americans, two Afghans, a German and a Briton — were killed in the attack, which drew widespread media attention. The incident was covered on major net- work news broadcasts, and Grams’ picture was printed on the front page of The New York Times along with the other slain workers. The group had spent two weeks treating villagers in a remote val- ley in northern Afghanistan before being ambushed by Taliban extrem- ists on their way back to Kabul, according to published reports. “Dr. Tom humbly served the men, women and children of Afghani- stan, working tirelessly to provide dental care to those who would not otherwise be able to reach medical clinics,” Khris Nedam, founder of Kids 4 Afghan Kids, a humanitarian aid organization with whom Grams worked, told Dental Tribune. “Dr. Tom loved his work and cheerfully brought hope to rural areas, showing them that someone cared enough about them to reach out and help. He used his pro- fessional skills to build bridges in some of the most difficult, rural areas,” Nedam said. “In return he was loved and respected by all and will be sadly missed by everyone.” Tim Grams, Grams’ twin broth- er, 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, Grams started going several months at a time, his brother said. “He was shocked by the dental condition of the villagers,” Nedam said in an online posting. “In one of our first conversations during his first visit he wondered if the chil- dren ate a lot of sugar. I replied no, their teeth are in such bad condi- tion 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 wrote. “He spoke to groups about his work in Afghanistan rais- ing funds and organizing dental supplies to take with him. He also collected and transported hundreds of toothbrushes for the village fami- lies and at the same time, a desire grew within him to help the village in ways other than dental care.” In addition to Grams, the slain aid workers also included Dr. Tom Little, an optometrist from Delmar, N.Y.; Glen Lapp, a nurse from Lan- caster, Pa.; and Cheryl Beckett, an expert in nutritional gardening and mother-child health from Knoxville, Tenn. “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. “Dr. Tom’s life truly represents servanthood and caring, as his work touched so many lives,” Nedam told Dental Tribune. DT DENTAL TRIBUNE | September 2010 News 3A AD Dentist from Colorado among 10 aid workers killed in Afghanistan By Fred Michmershuizen, Online Editor Dr. Thomas Grams (Photo provided by Kids 4 Afghan Kids)

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