Nepal Health Fair: Autumn, 2011
A team of professionals organized by The Himalayan Family Healthcare Project will provide comprehensive primary healthcare services such as pediatrics, internal medicine, women’s health, dental and behavioral healthcare for the people of the Manang District in Nepal. In addition, we will conduct various heath-related seminars and lectures to empower the local villagers.
Thonche Village, Lower Manang: October 22-23, 2011
Humde Village, Upper Manang: October 26, 2011
Please consider a donation to help fund this important event.
A Moonlight Climb for Nepal
On August 26, 2011 we held an outdoor, evening event at the Compton Hill Water Tower and Reservoir Park in St. Louis, Missouri. While exploring this historic landmark, over 300 guests enjoyed a traditional Nepalese buffet, live music, and beautiful Nepalese dancing.
This fundraiser was held to raise awareness of our upcoming medical trek.
We thank all of those who attended as well as David Null, chairman of the event, Joe Grimaud, our MC, and our many great volunteers!
Heartfelt appreciation goes to the following event sponsors:
Summit Level ($1,000)
- Everest Cafe & Bar (provided food for all of our guests)
- Paul Keller and Mary Gaertner
- Lawrence Fabric and Metal Structures (in-kind donation)
- Monsanto
- Mr. David Null
- Orthopedic Center of St. Louis, David M. Brown, MD
- Dan Paradoski and Irene Hung
- Pediatric Dentistry of Sunset Hills, Dr. Mark Fernandez
- Southside Lions Club
- Watson Pointe Dental
- Wings of Hope (in-kind donation)
Climber Level ($500)
- Matthew and Linda Cottler
- DJ Sean Miller (in-kind donation)
- B.J. and A. Lee Eavy
- Engelhardt Family Foundation
- Dr. Debra Fink, Orthodontist
- Orthopedic Center of St. Louis, Michael J. Milne, MD
- Southwest Oral Surgery
- Brian Stokes, Esq.
- Ed and Joan Wahl
- John and Stephie Williamson
- Tom and Sue Young
Base Camp Level ($250)
- Dr. and Mrs. Jerry Albrecht
- Rosemary Bishop, PNC Bank
- Dr. James Cassat
- City Diner South Grand
- David's in Clayton
- Drs. Caroline Day and Timothy Miller
- Garden Heights Nursery, Inc.
- Mr. Jerry Grant
- Mrs. Joan McKean
- Ronna Pohlman
- Schlueter Periodontics and Implants
- Southwest Endodontics
- Cody Wadlow, musician (in-kind donation)
- Wells and Acton Horticulture
Cardboard Boat Race
On Saturday, July 30, 2011 HFHCP participated in the 2nd Annual Wings of Hope Cardboard Boat Race, held at the Grand Basin in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri.
Our entry for this race was called Buddha's Barge:
Although we did not win the race, we had lots of fun, met new friends, and sold many HFHCP T-shirts and fans (the fans were a big hit on such a hot day).
Our captains were Joseph Torretta, Candice Perdan and Mark Winkelman. Special thanks go to John Torretta, the designer and building of Buddha's Barge.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch Article
The Himalayan Family Healthcare Project, and Dr. States' inspiring personal story, were featured in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch on July 25, 2011. A direct link is here.
Everest Cafe Donates Each Week
For those interested in supporting our project who are located in St. Louis, Missouri, the restaurant Everest Cafe & Bar, owned by Dr. & Mrs. States, will donate 20% of your dinner bill on Wednesday evenings (5-9pm) to The Himalayan Family Healthcare Project.
The restaurant is located at 4145 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, between Vandeventer and Kingshighway.
First Fundraiser for The Himalayan Family Healthcare Project
On November 8, 2010 we held our first event to raise awareness of the project and seek support. Through the generosity of our guests and the hard work of our volunteers, the evening was a success.
Special thanks go to Dr. Melissa Marshall and Mr. Eric Jacobs for graciously opening the doors of their home to such a large crowd in order to host the event; to Pratima, Anu, Rajive and Asis for bringing the beauty and grace of Nepalese music and dance to a living room in St. Louis; to Everest Cafe & Bar for preparing and donating all of the delicious Nepalese food; and to the companies and individuals who donated items for the auction, as well as all of those who bid on those items.
Your continued support will bring much needed medical services to a kind, remarkable, inspiring people in remote Nepal.
Kick-off Event in Nepal and Board Member Viewing of Land Sites
In Autumn, 2010, two members of the U.S. Board of Directors, Dr. Melissa Marshall and Mr. Randall Siefert, joined the organization's founder, Dr. Devi Gurung States, for a kick-off celebration in the beautiful village of Thoanche, where our hospital will be built.
Located at the confluence of the Marshyangdi and Dudh Khola Rivers, Thoanche (at an altitude of about 6,500 feet) is within the Annapurna, Nepal's first and largest conservation area.
The remoteness of the area our hospital will serve is astounding. The first full day out of Nepal's capitol, Kathmandu, comprised a long journey by bus followed by a bumpy ride by jeep until late evening. The hike to Thoanche was about a day and a half (our timeline was intense, so we trekked ten hours with heavy packs on the first day alone). We crossed footbridges over rapids, passed lines of donkeys carrying supplies, and rested amid waterfalls by our narrow, rocky path.
Our mission on this trip was to meet the people our organization will be serving and to view in person the various options for hospital land sites and make our recommendation to the full Board as to the most ideal locations.
We were greeted by representatives from all of the villages in the region. About 300 people were present. Community leaders gave passionate speeches regarding the need for healthcare in Manang. There was a wide range of singing and dancing, representing each major cultural group. It became clear to us that the level of gratitude and commitment to this project by the local people was tremendous and sincere.
During our time in Manang, where we had the honor of visiting the homes of many residents of several different villages, we saw a wonderful openness, generosity, sense of family, strength, and a simple resourcefulness in such a rugged, unforgiving land. But we also saw a real need for medicine, trained healthcare professionals, and a hospital. The Western trekker who breaks a leg or gets frostbite while mountain-climbing has (with luck and the several thousand dollars needed) the ability to call for an airlift to Kathmandu. But we saw and heard firsthand what happens to the local people, living primarily at a subsistence level, when problems occur during childbirth or with chronic disease or with the full spectrum of illnesses that would be easily treatable from a nearby doctor with medical equipment and supplies.
The experience for us was humbling, moving, productive, and unforgettable. We look forward—with your help—to building, staffing, and maintaining a quality medical facility in this beautiful part of Nepal.
