Nepal

On the morning of April 25th, 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal flattening villages and leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. Dr. Lekhjung Thapa still vividly remembers that day and recounts how lucky he was that his hometown, high in the mountains of Nepal was not devastated. Overtaken by a strong moral obligation, Lekhjung knew he needed to leave his village to help others. Against the advice of his family and community members, Lekhjung and a friend jumped in their car to drive to Kathmandu. He remembers being the only car on the road that day.

Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, had taken the brunt of the earthquake; temples that had stood for thousands of years toppled and countless people were left in need of medical attention. Upon arriving at the hospital in Kathmandu Lekhjung helped patients to safety and worked to establish treatment sites in the gardens surrounding the hospital. He remembers that day being very difficult, but knew how fortunate he was to be unharmed and was determined to help other people.