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Dear Friends,

I have a very special message today to share with you, with very high hope to get support in this time of a need.

I am introducing Suklal Shrestha to you. I have known him for almost 15 years. He is now 23 years old and is from close to my hometown in Dolakha, Nepal. He lost his mother when he was a baby, father married another woman and Suklal and his younger brother had a very hard life in their childhood. He grew up in an orphanage, supported by SENTINELLES (a swiss organization) and VOC (Voice of Children, Nepal) and was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to go to school. He has received a technical training from CTEVT Nepal and should have been self sufficient by now. In this sense, HE SHARES VERY SIMILAR LIFE STORY AS MINE.

Unfortunately, I recently received some very sad news about him. Since a long time, he is suffering from kidney disease which was quite stable for years with a regular treatment. By November 2009, his condition became worse and a biopsy was done. After that, he received another treatment which seems insufficient and now, he has to take a different treatment called Neoral that is very, verry expensive. The monthly cost of this medicine is about 20'000 NPR (about 270 US$) PER MONTH, which of course is unaffordable for him as it is for most of nepalese citizen, as you well know. Neither VOC nor Sentinelles can take such an expensive treatment in charge for ever, as it seems he will never be cured.

VOC and Sentinelles have been trying to look for alternatives, like finding some organization working in medical field or finding generic medicine that are cheaper, but they have been unsuccessful so far. Now, the only way to help him is to count on nepalese solidarity, and their friends in Nepal and outside, and I thought of requesting everyone close to me. In doing so, I will be giving back some of the support I have received from SENTINELLES when I was a child; it might be a nice way to balance and show responsibility!

One cannot let Suklal alone in such a difficult condition, as absence of treatment would certainly lead to death. To this regard I have started with $100 from my pocket. My goals is to raise at least $1,000 in the first phase that will add close to 4 months of life to Suklal. I have been trying to contact all of my friends in Nepal and in the US. I am hoping that each of you will spare a little sum of money - any amount that you can afford, which added one to another could make the count. Joining efforts can sometimes makes things happen!

Please think it over and forward to your friends, it is very important for Suklal who needs and deserves our solidarity.