Help Champa raise money for expensive SLE medication

Hello everyone, friends, family, former trekking partners from around the world,

Since 2010, my 37 years old wife, Champa Maya Rai, has been struggling with SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus), an autoimmune disease which causes the immune system to mistakenly attack healthy corporal tissues.

Although her health was relatively stable for the first 7 and a half years of her disease, her condition has deteriorated for the last years and a half, as the disease has spreaded into her kidneys. She requires more and more medication, expensive medication.

On August 8th 2019, we have received results from Champa’s biopsy, revealing that both her kidneys had reached the 4th stage of gravity (out of 4!). This means that without medication, her life could be seriously threatened. She must now take 3000mg (6 pills of 500mg) a day of Mycophenolate Mofetil (Mycept-500) which costs 13 700 NPR (about 120 USD) for 60 pills in Nepal. If we do a quick math, it’s easy to see that as she needs 180 pills/month, she needs to pay about 360 USD/month. And this is without counting all of the other less expensive medication she needs to take everyday. Our family now spends around 500 USD a month for Champa’s medication and treatments. We are having a hard time keeping it up financially.

I am myself a mountain guide in the Himalayas, bringing tourists to some of the most beautiful landscapes of Nepal. Before SLE attacked Champa’s kidneys more intensively, my annual income was enough so that my wife and my son Nimesh could live decently. I was able to pay for our apartment, food, Nimesh’s school tution, AND Champa’s medication. But for the last year and a half, the situation changed a lot and I’m having a very hard time supporting my family’s needs. Nepal’s health system is only partly financed by the state and health services are dependant on the capacity of every patient to pay for their own treatment. 6000 USD (500 USD x 12) a year for my wife’s medication now represents a huge part of our annual budget. This is getting problematic.

I’m asking for your help. The best way to support me is to visit Nepal and chose my trekking agency for your next journey in the Himalayas. My business has significantly slowed down after the 2015 earthquake, just like tourism allover Nepal. However, if visiting Nepal is not possible for you, my family and I would be grateful for a small donation, to help us cope with the increasing costs of Champa’s medication.

Whether you have trekked with me before or not, whether you’re a friend or a complete stranger, wherever you are and no matter how much you may give us,

Champa, Nimesh and I deeply thank you.

*Here are my trekking agency details:

Web: www.adventuregaurishankar.com

Email: [email protected]

With my greatest appreciation,

Agam Kumar Rai (Dhan)