My name is Esme Savage, and I am fundraising for Deepika Karki & her Family as they struggle to recover from the costs of her cancer treatment.

This story begins... in 2013 when I first traveled to Nepal at the age of eighteen. I lived with Deepika's grandparents in Kathmandu while I studied with the program Where There Be Dragons. During this time, I formed lifelong friendships with Deepika and her family— even as I write this, I can hear her voice insisting that were are not just friends but sisters. I was transformed by Nepal— by the culture, the language, and the love and warmth of the Karki Family, who embraced me.

[Sisters: Shreya, Dilasha, Esme & Deepika in 2013 celebrating the holiday Holi]

In the last ten years of life, Deepika and I traversed adolescence and crossed the threshold into adulthood, continents apart but always connected. Through heartbreaks, struggles and triumphs, we offered each other support even with a 14-hour time difference.

Last year, in August 2021, Deepika, only twenty-five years old, shared with me a big heartbreak—she had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and would need intense treatment.

[Deepika studying while receiving her first round of chemotherapy & Deepika rocking a new haircut after completing her third round of chemotherapy in 2021]

In 2021, Deepika underwent three rounds of chemotherapy and traveled to India for radiation treatment and the removal of her esophagus—all this while completing her studies to become a doctor herself. The Karki Family had to take loans from family and friends to afford the enormous treatment costs.

Deepika's treatment was not covered by insurance, meaning that the cost of chemo, radiation, surgery, and travel was wholly paid out of pocket. The Karki Family needs USD 60,000 to recover financially, pay back their loans and keep their small plot of land, which they use to grow food for their community.

Nepal is a small country between India and Tibet, rich in culture and values and still developing in many other ways. Most people in Nepal live far below what we consider the poverty line in America. Why does this matter? Not just because Deepika and her family are close to my heart, but because—as we have learned during these Pandemic times—we are all connected. Healthcare here impacts healthcare everywhere.

[Deepika & I just last week October 2022, in Ghandruk, Nepal, enjoying the beauty of the Himalayas]

Today... Deepika is regaining her health, and the cancer is in remission. She still needs to go for regular testing, has to attend weekly sessions with a vocal therapist as her vocal chord was paralyzed during surgery, and has developed gallstones that will need to be removed. These ongoing medical interventions continue to burden the Karki Family financially as they are already dealing with the costs of her other treatments. Despite these challenges, Deepika is always the optimist and wants me to share that she is celebrating her health daily. I am personally in awe of her courage, strength and resilience.

During her cancer treatment, Deepika graduated from medical school and passed her licensing exams, officially becoming a doctor here in Nepal in May 2022. Deepika's passion and drive are unstoppable, and she has created a website—Nepal CanChat—to connect cancer patients, survivors and their families in Nepal as they navigate treatment and recovery. She is now working as an emergency room doctor while applying to continue her medical studies in the US.

[Deepika proudly in her doctor's uniform in May 2022]

Thank you enormously for your contribution... and for your time in reading this story which is so close to my heart.

Currently...I am in Nepal visiting the Karki Family! The day I launch this fundraiser [October 4, 2022] is both my birthday and a holiday of great importance here known as Dashain, celebrating the triumph of good in the world. My birthday wish is that you will join us in this celebration and donate today!

[The whole Karki Family celebrating you & your support!]