Monthly Archives: June 2013
Dr. Atwell Shares Memory of Raj Kumar
I first met Raj Kumar during our first Nepal medical mission in 2009, when we visited the READ Nepal leprosy clinic that he founded and operates. He was diagnosed with leprosy as a young child and although he suffers from some fairly significant residuals, it doesn’t hinder his efforts to make sure that patients diagnosed with leprosy have access to appropriate care.
Raj is one of those special individuals that inspire us to be more; He has suffered from multiple septic joints and has undergone a knee fusion, attempted ankle fusion and was dealing with a current knee infection during our visit. All of this while dealing with endstage renal failure requiring peritoneal dialysis on a daily basis while continuing to run the clinic.
In Dec of 2010, his family suffered a terrible tragedy; his sister’s son and daughter were killed in a motor scooter accident. Raj traveled to be with his sister during this difficult time and had the misfortune of falling, sustaining an open femur fracture that ultimately resulted in an above the knee amputation. This resulted in a very difficult situation for Raj, having an AKA in addition to the severe deficits in the contralateral leg resulting from the prior infections. Once we learned of Raj’s plight, I contacted Mr. Bruce O’Brien (O’Brien Orthopedics and Prosthetics, Cartersville, GA) who immediately and without hesitation volunteered his services to fabricate a new prosthesis for Raj. In short order, Bruce devised a suitable prosthesis that would be both durable and be amenable to repair with the limited resources available in Nepal. The limb was shipped to Raj and in short order he was up and around.
Raj and Bruce are both inspirations to me! Despite all the many trials and difficulties that Raj has had and continues to experience, I have never seen anything but a smile on his face and have never heard a complaint; thru out everything, he continues to reaffirm that “God is Good”! Bruce immediately volunteered to assist in manufacturing a new limb without concern about reimbursement. I am quite certain that without Bruce’s help, Raj would have never been able to obtain a prosthesis. These two men have set standards that I continually strive to emulate. 
MOA Nursing Scholarship Awarded
During our 2009 Nepal mission, we met a young lady in Thulo Bensi who worked in the small tea lodge where our team stayed. She was a very bright, articulate young lady that later expressed an interest in attending nursing school, to then return to her village to be the sole medical provider for the region. When we returned for our 2010 Nepal mission, we interviewed her and and offered her an MOA scholarship that required that she successfully complete her nursing program and return to Thulo Bensi and work there for at least 3 years.To our delight, she did very well on her entrance exams and is now completing her 2nd year of nursing school and is doing exceptionally well with her studies. We are very proud of her efforts and happy that we could offer her an opportunity that otherwise would not have been available to her.
We feel very strongly that a dollar spent on education, whether for an individual or a community, will frequently yield a much greater benefit than the same money spent on medication. Many of the illnesses that we see in undeveloped countries are the result of inadequate education regarding sanitation and contaminated water supplies. Without proper education, the medical treatment of these ailments will only result in a temporary improvement that will relapse once the medical treatment ceases. It is our hope and expectation that educating just this one young lady will improve the lives of many!
