Arriving in Kathmandu I remembered our trip in 2011, when we were so nervous about what lay ahead. It seems like we should be even more nervous now, knowing what lies ahead. On the plane, we sat next to a midwife from LA who was coming for her first time to observe and see if there is anything that she can do to help in Nepal. I don’t know if she was glad to be sitting next to us or if it made everything even more overwhelming when I showed her our pictures and told her the stories of our travels and work we are trying to do.

Our bags were x-rayed in customs and I was afraid that they would confiscate all of the vitamins that we had collected, but once we explained what they were for, the gentlemen just smiled, helped us get everything back on the trolly and wished us well. We found our ride to the hotel and soon were tucked into our cozy bed, thankful for a smooth and safe few days of travel.

Monday morning at 9 am we met Elsie James and Ramesh Dharmala from Medical Mercy Canada. They have been invaluable in planning the Health Camp in Rupakot. We went with Elsie to visit some of the projects that they are working with in Kathmandu. One of them is at the Kanti Children’s Hospital, where we met Dr. Tiwari who is a pediatric oncologist. Dr. Tiwari is an amazing doctor and we were able to make rounds with him. It was heartbreaking to see the children and their families who are in the hospital. Dr. Tiwari studied for 3 years at the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital. He told us that the success rate for curing most cancers is much lower than in the US, but there are so many factors involved. First is the stage of their disease progress when the patient is brought in for diagnosis and treatment. Often his patients are already in a later stage of their disease. The hospitalization and doctors’ care are both free of cost at Kanti but the cost of chemo therapy and other medications have to be paid for by the families. Most Nepali families cannot afford medications and look to NGO’s for help in covering the costs of medications. One other major problem is infection and frequently children die not from their cancer but from an infection. Dr. Tiwari told us that he has shed many tears over his patients.

Our next stop was to READ Nepal, which is a leprosy treatment clinic and shelter that is located in the Pashupatinath gateway. We met several patients and residents, who would not have anywhere to live if READ was not there to offer them shelter. Leprosy is very curable and when caught in the early stages should not cause any disfigurement. In countries like Nepal and India where leprosy is a stigma, people do not want to seek treatment due to the embarrassment that comes with having leprosy. READ is in danger of loosing their lease as the government is moving the gate to the temple and removing the shops and clinic that are on this short stretch of road.