“Bhikari works hard as a tailor in the village,” says our medical partner, Possible. The 64-year-old grandfather from Nepal also tills his family’s field and nearby patches. Possible shares, “even though his son says that the old man can take rest at this age, Bhikari is insistent that he actually likes doing work.”
For the past four months, Bhikari has lived with painful hernia. However, his family’s modest combined income prevents him from being able to travel to India for treatment. Bhikari tells Possible, “It pains enormously around here,” pointing towards the pelvic-bone area.
“He cannot sit down properly, or walk up the hilly terrain without each movement putting him in a lot of pain,” Bhikari’s son explains. “My two-months worth of wage, and more, would be gone if we had to take him to India for treatment. It is hard to feed the family in that situation.”
For $491, Bhikari will undergo surgery to have his hernia surgically repaired. This operation will prevent his condition from worsening and allow him to return to his normal active self, free from pain.
As the medical team at Possible puts it, “Bhikari will be able to work the way he likes to every day.”