a day in the life: miracles

himalayan griffon...i think :)

i am definitely a believer in miracles or coincidences or the stars aligning or good luck.  whatever you call it; i am a believer.

a couple of weeks ago, we had a nepali patient who needed to be evacuated by helicopter for a life threatening condition.  this patient could not afford such a luxury (i believe the cost for helicopter evacuation from manang to kathmandu is usually at least $4,000 USD).  in this case, the wealthy lodge/tea house owners of manang gathered together to determine if it was worth it or feasible or in their best interest to save the patient.  they decide to fund the evacuation, and with the help of our clinic director, gobi, these influential men were able to cut the cost down to about $1,000 USD (the approximate cost of fuel for the round trip).  one of the other HRA volunteer doctors later saw these same men sitting around a table emptying their pockets to fund this trip.  it was a tremendous burden on the city, to say the least.

side note:  in nepal, the average annual income is $450 USD.  here in manang, one of the more affluent areas of nepal, the average annual income is $2500 USD.

in contrast, john and i recently had the opportunity to care for a sick trekker all through the night.  obviously, i cannot give many details, but this patient was sick enough to need evacuation and well enough off to pay for it.  during this same night, a local nepali patient took a turn for the worst.  this patient did not have the means to purchase a helicopter evacuation, and the wealthier people of manang could not pay for another evacuation so soon.  the well-to-do patient agreed to transport themselves and the deteriorating nepali local to kathmandu, even if that meant that they would have to travel down without the company of friends or family.  this in itself was a miracle, but things just kept getting better.  in the end, the helicopter company agreed to pick up both patients and one friend/family member each, all for the price of the one evacuation.  as the five of us from the HRA put our two patients on the helicopter this morning, we could not help but feel…well, grateful, blessed, inspired.  nepal is a place where money is scarce and politics are a nightmare, but today things could not have worked out better.