THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Visitors to Thailand who are on the island of Koh Samui on October 24 might like to forgo the beaches and other touristy pursuits for a day and attend a music festival being staged in an attempt to save a young boys life.

Rock4Rino has been organized by Ritchie Newton, a native of Straubing Bavaria with a 27-year history working in the entertainment industry, the last 12 as an Elvis Presley tribute artist on the island of Phuket.

In June this year doctors in Bangkok told Mr. Newton that unless his 10-year-old son Rino had open heart surgery to correct a defective heart valve, the boy could be dead before the year is out.

Diagnosed with Ebstein’s anomaly, a congenital heart defect in which one of the four heart valves, the tricuspid valve, is abnormally formed allowing blood to leak into the right ventricle from the right atrium – the reverse of what should happen – the condition, if left untreated, causes heart degeneration and blood clots to form giving rise to strokes, tissue damage and, in many cases, death.

When told that the life-saving surgery and after-care would cost an estimated Bt2 million (about $US63,000), an expense the devoted father wasn’t planning for, he said he was “devastated”.

Since being given the bad news Mr. Ritchie has devoted 18-hours-a-day working to raise the money needed for the life-saving surgery.

“When we came back from Bangkok Rino was exhausted and went to sleep. I looked in on him and vowed I would move heaven and earth for my lovely boy. I was not going to allow him to die”, Mr Newton said.

To help raise awareness of the plight he is facing, Mr. Newton wrote a song titled Together we are strong, which was recorded in his Koh Samui studio with the support of musicians from all over Koh Samui, including the choir from Rino’s school.

With Rino’s condition deteriorating and no-where near enough money for the vital surgery, the Rock4Rino Family Music Festival was organized, with leading Thai musicians and performers including Ovada Showband, Rock Angels, Siam Band and Climax Band all readily agreeing to support the cause.

Mr. Newton has established also established Rino’s Heart Foundation – a registered trust to handle donations – and says after he has secured enough funds for Rino’s surgery, the foundation will continue raising funds to help other children with the same condition.

People interested in contacting Mr. Newton, or in finding out more about the Rock4Rino Family Music Festival on Koh Samui on October 24 can visit the rinosheart.com website for more information.

Together we are strong. A tribute for Rino Newton by Phuket Elvis tribute artist Ritchie Newton

By John Le Fevre

Thailand Travel News for August 18, 2010