Thanks everyone for responding with such good advice. I do have an older sister in Rochester, NY where Mum is hospitalized, but she can be unreliable when it comes to offering support. But I hope that some of her friends can visit her while I am away. I have decided to go up and talk to my Mum this weekend and along with my sister break the news to her, before I leave for Africa. Hopefully, God will be merciful and be with my Mum in her time of need. Thanks for your kind thoughts. God bless you all. Dabu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn