Surgery for Children with Disabilities in Nepal

From Sorrow to Hope

Dukhi, a master craftsman at the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Children with Disabilities (HRDC) in Nepal, finds fulfillment in his work of crafting orthopedic shoes for children with disabilities. Dukhi, like approximately 30 other staff members, was once a patient at HRDC. His time is now spent creating custom corrective boots with precision and care for children undergoing clubfoot treatment. As Dukhi himself was born with clubfoot, he is more than familiar with the challenges and stigma associated with the condition.

Extreme poverty forced Dukhi to take on adult responsibilities at just nine, trading school for menial jobs to support his family, despite the difficulty and pain caused by severe bilateral clubfoot. The emotional pain from villagers’ taunts about his disability hurt even more. His dreams seemed futile until a member of HRDC’s field team offered him a chance at a brighter future. Clinging to hope he embarked on a journey to HRDC’s main hospital in Banepa, just outside Kathmandu. He dared to believe in straight feet.

Luckily, clubfoot is highly treatable, and under the care of HRDC’s expert team, Dukhi was soon cured and walking tall. After treatment, he secured a job at an HRDC-backed bicycle garage and later joined HRDC staff in the orthotic workshop, eager to help others. He is grateful to HRDC not just for correcting his feet but also for offering a career and educational support.

Once called Dukhi, meaning sorrow in Nepali, HRDC staff now fondly know him as Amal, meaning hope. He is now married and has two daughters. HRDC annually treats 25,000 children, including 500 with clubfoot, many of them benefiting from Amal’s shoes.

His journey, beginning as a child facing immense challenges to becoming a skilled craftsman and an advocate for disability rights, epitomizes the transformative power of HRDC’s work. All of this is only possible with your support. Thank you for making children’s dreams come true.

Links:

• Learn more about AHF
• Learn more about HRDC

The news of my pregnancy brought immense joy to both my husband and me. My joy turned to despair when I learned that my son, Nilesh, had a clubfoot after his birth.

“Every 3 minutes, a child is born with clubfoot.”

Upon learning about our son's condition, tears flowed endlessly, and we found ourselves questioning why such a fate had befallen us. Hurtful comments suggesting past sins added to our distress, amplifying the already difficult situation.

“The social stigma and blame surrounding disability in children often fall primarily, and unfairly, on mothers.”

Unaware of HRDC’s services, our financial constraints prevented us from seeking private assistance for our child. Fearing societal judgment, we often confined ourselves indoors. Thankfully, a compassionate staff member at the local health facility connected us with an HRDC social mobilizer. Assured that Nilesh would walk and run one day, we discovered hope.

The skilled cast technicians at HRDC utilized serial casting to correct Nilesh's feet, and now he benefits from low-cost club shoes produced in HRDC’s workshop, preventing a recurrence. HRDC’s approach of making the service affordable made this treatment financially feasible for us. We feel blessed to have received HRDC’s competent and compassionate care. Reflecting on our journey, the joy in our hearts is immeasurable as we witness our son attending school alongside his peers. Grateful for the positive impact HRDC has on families like ours in Nepal, we look toward a brighter future.

- Etisha, mother of HRDC patient Nilesh