I am Running a Marathon and Raising Funds for HRDC

My friend Binod Bijukachhe is an orthopedic surgeon in Nepal. He works tirelessly to treat disabled children at the Hospital and Rehab Center for Disabled Children (HRDC) nearby Kathmandu. Simply put, Binod and his team are amazing -- in a poor country like Nepal, where so many children with physical disabilities cannot afford care, HRDC treats thousands of children suffering ailments like burn contractures, club foot disease, polio, and scoliosis, to name a few. In 2010 alone, HRDC handled close to 15,000 cases overall - which is remarkable.

Children under treatment at HRDC having some fun time

I have known Binod from high school back in Nepal. When I visited Nepal with my wife and kids last summer, Binod took us to HRDC. We were touched and humbled by the suffering the children have to endure, and equally amazed by how HRDC was able to provide care at such low costs. For instance, the hospital hires local cobblers to make prosthetic shoes for club foot disease -- at a fraction of cost of buying name-brand shoes.

Dr. Binod Bijukachhe, one of HRDC's talented surgeons

Yours truly prepping for the marathon

Earlier this year, I decided to train for my first marathon, and I just signed up to run the Santa Rosa Marathon on August 28th. The 26.2 miles are surely going to be tough, but nowhere even close to what the kids at HRDC have to face.

I want to dedicate this run to Binod, HRDC, and especially all the children being treated there -- and I ask you to join me in supporting HRDC by making a donation. I will even add a challenge - for every dollar donated up to $5,000, my solar company in Nepal, Gham Power, will make a matching contribution by installing a solar PV system of equal value at HRDC (which also suffers long electricity blackouts each day because of Nepal's ongoing energy crisis).


Please sponsor my marathon run by making a donation to HRDC. The good folks at American Himalayan Foundation (AHF, also a supporter of HRDC) will be happy to process your donation - here is how:

1. Go to http://www.himalayan-foundation.org/donate
2. Click on "Give Now"
3. Click on "One Time Gift"
4. Fill out the form with your name, address, email, and donation amount. For reference, an average surgery costs $150. A pair of locally made prosthetic shoes costs about $25. 
5. VERY IMPORTANT: Under "About your Gift" - Make sure you check "Please Direct My Gift To.." and type in "HRDC" in the box immediately underneath. This is to make sure 100% of your donation goes to HRDC. In the Notes field at the bottom, type in "Sandeep"

Please spread the word around. If you are in Santa Rosa or nearby on August 28th, please come by to cheer me on (or help carry me on a stretcher). But mostly, please do whatever you can to help Binod's work at HRDC.

Please sponsor my marathon run by making a donation to HRDC.

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Tsunami of Sorrow

Tsunami of sorrow
Swept over Sendai
Shaken
Stunned
Slaughtered
Now suddently still
Million tiny prayers
Enough to rebuild?

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