Jean Burns passed away on 29 October 2010. She was 92. An amazing lady, she was a house mother at Woodburn Cottage, Dr Grahams Homes School, Kalimpong, India for 36 years. Jean was loved, not just by the hundreds of girls she cared for, but by all who knew her wherever she went in the world.

The Jean Burns Trust will honour her memory by providing funds for other disadvantaged children to be educated at the Homes. Please give generously to this trust.

To start the ball rolling, on 14^th September 2010,  I did the first part of my sponsored walk for the Jean Burns Trust from Gangtok to Tashi Viewpoint and back to Gangtok. Unfortunately I did not get the breathtaking view of Mt Khan-Chen-Dzonga. I covered only 16km on this walk.

On 16^th Sept. at 7.30 a.m. I set off for the main sponsored walk from Gangtok to Rumtek and back. Dr Shiva Rai and his wife Kabita gave me a white ceremonial scarf as they wished me luck. I was very touched by this send off. It was a damp and misty morning with the occasional thin drizzle. I slipped and fell after 2 hours of walking down hill. I bought some bandaid from a small road side sweet shop. There were many  children walking to school who appeared from all directions.  I was impressed to see how neat and tidy they looked.

The climb up to Rumtek monastery was difficult and I decided not to speak to people on my way up. Shiva and Kabita had sent their driver and car to keep a look out for my welfare. I was grateful to take a 5 minute shelter from the rain in the car before proceeding on to Rumtek monastery. I arrived at Rumtek about 1.30 p.m.. Rumtek is 24km away from Gangtok. On my return walk from Rumtek to Gangtok the sky cleared and beautiful sunshine lit up the hills.  I was feeling so elated that I nearly jogged down the road. I loved meeting the local people and was grateful for their friendship. There were moments of peace and complete silence and I felt isolated from the rest of the world, especially from my life in the U.K  The hill I was looking across from Rumtek was Gangtok. It looked so close yet so far in distance. People I met on the way offered me lifts but I was determined to complete the walk. One lady said to me `Beechara”. I heard this phrase in Gangtok a few days later and I asked what it meant as I thought it meant “What an idiot” but instead it meant…poor thing.

All along the walk my thoughts were on Aunty Jean Burns. I had spent a week in her company at the hospital in Edinburgh. She was delighted that I was doing something for the Dr Graham’s school, a school that educated thousands of needy children like myself. Woodburn cottage had this wonderful,kind “Aunty Jean Burns’ to love and nurture us so that we became responsible young caring adults. And so I found myself saying what can I give her?  I knew that if I started this trust on behalf of everyone who loved her, many needy children would benefit from it, as I did. 

I completed my walk at 7.30p.m. Shiva and Kabita were delighted to see that I was in one piece. They were so sure that I would complete my walk that they had a splendid gift ready for me. I felt thoroughly and utterly spoilt……thank you every one including my family in Oxford.

After returning to the UK after my walk, I had the privilege and honour to be with Aunty Jean for the last week of her life. She was so happy to know that the Trust will benefit children in the future.

You can read Jean's obituary in the Edinburgh Evening News at

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburgh/Real-lives-Jean-was-a.6632232.jp

 

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