Unlike other patients, nine-year-old Kusal Thapa happened to be in the hospital not because he was sick, but because of his mother’s and sister’s illnesses.

Kusal’s sister was born with heart disease and Down’s syndrome. She frequently suffered from fevers and spent a lot of time in the hospital.  Kusal had to travel with his mother and sister on their many trips to Tansen Hospital.  He could not stay at home as his father was abroad to earn money to support the family, and there was no one else to care for him. Kusal’s family struggled because his mother was also on treatment for tuberculosis and they had to spend a lot of money traveling and for treatment for his sister. This family was in a financial crisis along with their medical difficulties.

I first met Kusal on the ward.  His eyes were full of tears because he had just witnessed his mother being taken to the Emergency Room because of her illness. He was full of stress because he not only had to cope with his sister’s illness, but his mother’s as well. My colleagues and I from the Pastoral Care Department had the opportunity to give him emotional and spiritual support while he was dealing with this tragedy. I prayed with him. His mother’s condition got better, and Kusal started sharing about his difficult life with me. I learned that Kusal was very worried about his studies, as he had missed so much school. However, the Children’s Educational Support Programme through Tansen Hospital was able to help Kusal continue his studies.

After a few weeks, Kusal’s mother improved, and I could sense that he was relieved; however a few days later, his sister died. She was nine months old. The support that we gave Kusal helped him to cope with this devastating loss.

I joined this hospital as a teacher to teach children who miss their classes because they have to be admitted to the hospital because of an illness. I never thought I would also get to minister to a child who was at the hospital because of family sickness. Indeed, my ways of thinking are different than God’s ways. Sometimes I wonder how many children in Nepal are like Kusal. Do they get emotional support, and are they covered with prayer? I am thankful to God for healing Kusal’s mother. I will continue to pray for Kusal and children like him in this country.

Deborah Sherpa
Educational Teacher