Report submitted by Dr.Santosh Sapkota, Arizona

With so many dreams inside, Nandan Chaudhary comes to the United States from Nepal. It seems like even before he gets to conquer the early struggle of an immigrant, he met with an unthinkable reality of life. A month ago Nandan had an accident. He was flown in the chopper to a nearby hospital and unfortunately, woke up with one of his legs missing. As a doctor, I have seen so many patients losing the life battle before it starts and for some, this could have been an insurmountable tragedy of self-destruction. However, I found him being very different. His worries were mainly about his parent’s wellbeing and sister’s unfinished nursing school fees back in Nepal.

Nandan is indeed a warrior and an inspiration to many of us. He is also an individual with utmost self-respect. Even after numerous surgeries, repeated tear-jerking pain and uncertainties in life, he tells us to find a job that an amputee can do so he can support his family back home and payback to everyone who has helped during this tragedy. He says I have just lost one leg, and there are so many in the world who have lost both or more. One may not believe, but we often see him checking the YouTube videos of “bionic leg” and “life of an amputee” in his hospital bed hours. Nandan is a kind, gentle soul, and has touched many Arizonians in a short period.

Nepalese and Friends Association of Arizona’s leadership team and its members have shown how diaspora can work together to make a difference in the community. A person unknown to many of us a few days ago can now see himself surrounded by love and care from fellow countrymen. We have been able to do the following so far for him:

a.Identified and established an injury lawyer to handle legal processes.

b.Started a fundraising campaign to support his immediate needs after the discharge.
c .Created an online calendar so community members can take turns to visit him in the hospital. Setting the schedule online has helped us to manage resources and efforts better.
d.Almost every day at least one Nepali family has been visiting him with home cooked food.
e.Several members have taken responsibilities to identify rehabilitation options for him
f.Scoping financial resources to support his sister’s nursing education.

If you would also like to help Nandan during this time of need, please donate below. Please feel free to reach out to N.A.F.A. Arizona at [email protected] if you have any questions.

https://www.gofundme.com/nandan-support-fund