By Virginia Dixon | President, Roads to Rehab Nepal
Namaste,
NHEDF’s Director, Samrat, said: “Coming to Kathmandu is not a big thing but coming to Kathmandu with little money in your pocket and hoping to get treatment for cancer is big thing.”
In Nepal a family’s financial circumstances can change dramatically as a result of accident, illness or a chance meeting. The financial stress resulting from the cost of medical care causes people to go into debt, borrow from family, friends or their community, or worse, loan sharks. They may have to sell their land that may have been in the family for generations, leaving an entire family homeless, some even contemplate suicide. They take their own lives because they cannot see any way out of their situation, or they may feel a terrible burden of guilt if they are the ones experiencing the illness or injury, and see suicide as their only solution.
One day Samrat was visiting a hospital and noticed a man crying in the hospital foyer. He went up to him and invited him to tell his story.
The man explained he has a thirteen-year-old son, Karan, who had been diagnosed with osteosarcoma 6 months previously and had been receiving treatment. However he was starting to despair as the money had run out. As a last resort he and his son travelled for 11 hours by bus to get to Kathmandu but when he found out the costs involved, he was devastated. The family had not had an income for 8 months and he did not have this amount of money. The most he thought he could raise was about NPR 10,000, from selling his goats. He runs a small cycle shop but has nothing else. No land, nothing of value, no possibility of further loans from family or his community. He felt that his son would die and this this is why he was crying. The man said to Samrat: "I have already spent NPR 400,000 ($4600) on his treatment. I took a loan of NPR 350,000 but now there is no one else I could borrow money from. I have already visited 4 different hospitals before coming to Kathmandu. I don't have any land to sell”.
Samrat immediately contacted Karan's treating doctor and made arrangements for them to be transferred to NHEDF's Shelter. Karan had surgery to remove the tumour in early October, followed by 2 cycles of chemotherapy. On the 13th November Karan was discharged from NHEDF and referred to a hospital in Dharan which is closer to home. The wonderful doctor there agreed to waive the costs for further required cycles of chemo. Karan was very happy to be going home and looking forward to playing with his brothers and sisters again.
NHEDF regularly has young people with osteosarcoma referred to them and it has a very good prognosis in children. Without NHEDF, and the support of wonderful people like you, Karan’s circumstances would have been very different.
We truly appreciate your generosity and a million thank you to those who have supported our work throughout 2021. If you ever have any questions or would like more information about our work, please visit our website or contact us on info@roads-to-rehab-nepal.org
We hope you have a happy, COVID-free Christmas, safe travels and a Happy New Year!
We also hope that 2022 will be a better year for everyone, no matter where you are in the world, and we look forward to keeping you updated about the wonderful work we do.
With best wishes and grateful thanks,
Virginia Dixon
President,
Roads to Rehab Nepal
By Virginia Dixon | President, Roads to Rehab Nepal
By Virginia DIxon | President, Roads to Rehab Nepal
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