Djamshid Popal, the Afghan boy who came to Canada for a life-saving heart operation last year, isn't doing so well.

Now he wants to return to Canada permanently. If he stays where he is, he'll probably die.

An excerpt from the CP story on CTV.ca:

He returned to Afghanistan in November, and stayed in Kabul for several weeks under a doctor's care. But money quickly ran out for his father, who was forced to return to his dusty village, where he could look for work while living with relatives.

Since then, Djamshid's condition has deteriorated. His feet swell like balloons, often making it painfully difficult to walk. He coughs continually, giving him a sore throat and making sleep sporadic. He doesn't play with his friends because his breathing is barely strong enough to let him squeak out a few words when he's asked a question.

"I can see many changes in Djamshid's face, in his health," said Shafiullah, trying to contain his emotions. "Definitely, if we stay here, his health will get worse and worse."

Djamshid is supposed to have his blood tested regularly, but his family situation makes that impossible.

Since returning home, the boy has had just one set of tests completed, at a cost of over $20 US — more than what his father earns during an entire month of toiling in the drought-stricken fields surrounding the village.

Even if the boy was tested more often, testing is done in Pakistan, and the results aren't returned for three weeks. By then, it's too late for Djamshid's father to know whether his son needs to take his medication.

On top of that, he has just a half bottle remaining of Coumodin, the pills he is supposed to take to thin his blood. The pills aren't easily available in Afghanistan, and Shafiullah couldn't afford to buy them even if there was a ready supply.

I hope we find there's room for the Popals, but I suspect this could become a controversial case either way.