Help Refugee Doctor Fight Cancer

My uncle Dr. Shah Gurung has been battling terminal cancer for four years. This fundraising campaign is created to support his treatment through alternative methods since all the conventional methods of treatments proved futile. Please join me in this campaign to support him in his healing journey.  

My Uncle's Story (In his own words): 

"I have stage 4 cancer. Doctors tell me I don’t have much longer to live. Help me beat cancer!"

       My name is Shah Gurung, a husband and a father of 2 (16 year old daughter and 9 year old son). In September 2012, I was diagnosed with Rectal cancer stage 4, i.e terminal stage. My oncologist told me I had 1- 2 years to live, but I am defying odds every day. I refuse to be just another statistics. I have always been a fighter and will continue the fight- not just for myself but, for others like me. I have been seeking alternative treatment which has been helping and I want to continue with my research and treatment with your help!

I am originally from Bhutan and currently living in Oakland, California, USA. Born to a poor family in a remote village in Bhutan my life has never been easy. My poor parents had difficulty in fulfilling the needs of their seven children, I being their third child. Despite this, and thanks to the free education system of Bhutan at the time, I obtained a Medical degree from Bangladesh. However, in the early 90s, my family and I were evicted from Bhutan, along with thousands of people, in the pretext of being non-Bhutanese. My family was forced to live in the refugee camps in East Nepal, where I spent almost 2 decades.
(Dr. Gurung performing surgery in a rural hospital in Nepal)

  During this period I specialized as a General Practitioner from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu,Nepal and worked in various rural hospitals as Surgeon, an Internist, an Obstetrician and Gynecologist, a Pediatrician, an Orthopedic surgeon and so on. I feel extremely privileged and satisfied when I recall those days in the refugee camps and the rural districts of Nepal where I helped tens and hundreds of patients suffering from various ailments. Saving the lives of the innumerable rural women coming to me with obstetric complications such as bleeding for hours and obstructed labor with impending or ruptured uterus used to be the most satisfying moment for me. I loved my profession and alleviating the sufferings of the patients was my passion.

      The year 2010 turned out to be a turning point for me and my family. We had been accepted by the government of USA for resettlement as a partial solution of the prolonged Bhutanese refugee problem. We were so thrilled to start our lives in the “Land of Opportunities” and with new hopes and dreams we landed in Oakland in April 2010. After settling down, I started my preparations to get certified as a Physician here in USA. I was towards the end of my certification process when misfortune struck me again! My dreams got shattered and my hopes turned into despair!

      In September 2012, I was diagnosed with Rectal cancer stage 4, i.e. terminal stage! A death sentence! My treatment started immediately which comprised of surgery, radiation and several rounds of chemotherapy. The treatment continued till March 2016 with mixed responses initially but later on stopping to show any improvement. So, towards the end of March this year my oncologist declared that there is nothing more that can be done for me. In fact I was referred for Home Hospice Care- meaning that I have just about six months! I was totally devastated and crestfallen! It was my worst moment of my life and to see tears rolling down the face of my wife on hearing this news was unbearable for me.

     The outpouring of support and encouragement from my family members, relatives, friends and well wishers rekindled hope inside me and urged me to start thinking more positively. When I look at my family, I know that deep inside their innocent hearts they all are praying for me and pleading me to stick around them for longer!
(With his children)

I revoked the Hospice care after one month and started treating myself with alternative methods. Being an Allopathic doctor, it is quite ironic that I am having to resort to alternative methods of treatment for my illness. However, I feel the treatments are helping and I am feeling much better now than I did three months back. My research has led me to find numerous options and treatment centers both inside and outside of USA. I strongly feel and believe that these centers will help me in my fight against my illness. I feel that I need to continue my fight with every weapon available for disposal. My kids need my support and guidance till they can be more independent and fend for themselves.

I want to prove that every individual is different and want to show others like me that there are alternative medicine that can work. I have already proven my oncologist wrong by living 2 years longer than he had anticipated! I want to prove that it is not stage 4 of my illness but rather it is going to be my 4 stages of my healing! Stage 4 cancer may be a “Life sentence” but definitely not a “death sentence”! Life has taught me that If something does not work, you need to start looking for alternatives and never give up! This does not mean that I have lost faith in and am against allopathy since I am an allopathic physician. For this venture that I will be embarking very soon, I would like to appeal to all my friends, relatives and well wishers to extend all possible support so that I can emerge triumphant one day!
(Dr. Gurung at 25 during his medical school days)

“I have miles to go before I sleep! I have miles to go before I sleep!”


                                                           THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!