By Sarah Beckhaus | Communications Manager
Massive cuts to U.S. foreign aid aren’t just news headlines or numbers on a spreadsheet, they’re impacting children around the world, including in Nepal.
In February, USAID suddenly cancelled a major grant for the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children (HRDC) after the medical equipment had been ordered, leaving the hospital with a crushing debt they could not repay.
AHF has partnered with HRDC for over 30 years and knows how vital their work is. We immediately called Dr. Bibek Banskota, HRDC’s Executive Director, and offered to send emergency funding to cover the cost, so they could focus on what they do best: caring for their young patients.
HRDC is the only pediatric orthopedic hospital in Nepal, providing children with surgical interventions, physical therapy, and community based follow up care at little to no cost to their families.
Last year, they transformed the lives of 24,300 of Nepal’s most vulnerable children, helping them run, walk, and thrive.
One of those children is Rupa. After falling into a kitchen fire, Rupa’s left arm was badly burned and then contracted, severely limiting her mobility. Her parents sold everything they owned to afford treatment at a government hospital, but her condition only worsened. Rupa suffered in silence.
Then an HRDC mobile clinic found her and her life changed forever. The HRDC team performed multiple surgeries and gave her intensive physical therapy. Today, Rupa is back in school, surrounded by friends, and dreaming of going into public service so she can be a voice for others.
When USAID pulled HRDC’s funding, AHF stepped up, but we couldn’t do it alone. Thanks to your kindness, we can help keep transformative work going, ensuring more children like Rupa get the care they need and deserve.
On behalf of Rupa and over 130,000 children who have been treated by our partner, HRDC, thank you for making this life-changing work possible.
To learn more about our work and the HRDC please visit the links below:
All names have been changed for privacy and images are representative. Photo credits: Luigi Fieni.
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