Suntali B.K. had a hard time when her husband died several years ago, leaving her alone to take care of five children. They didn’t have any land of their own, an invaluable asset in rural Nepal, where agriculture is the main source of income. Suntali had only one son, who would normally become the family’s main provider once he grew up. Unfortunately little Suraj was born with a deformity to his legs, they were both under developed while his left leg had the calf joined to the thigh. Suntali found it hard to even feed her children. At the age of 8 Suraj only weighed 9 kg. Despite the hardships she faced, Suraj’s mum sold her little hut in her village in the far west of Nepal, one of the least developed regions of the country, and the family moved in with her younger sister. With the money she earned from selling their little dwelling, Suntali could bring Suraj to Asha clinic, hoping we could help them. He was admitted on the 2nd December 2002. Through Green Pastures Hospital we were able to facilitate a first operation to separate and straighten Suraj’s left leg prior to amputating his deformed lower leg and foot. He stayed in the Asha Hostel during his recovery and we all got used to having him around. In the morning when we arrived he would come crawling (with incredible speed!) up to us to say Hi, or he would come into our office asking if he could play on the computer.

Suraj’s second operation was the amputation. A traumatic experience for anyone, but he coped with it perfectly, remaining a smiley and very funny kid, and a source of inspiration and energy for us all. In the following months of rehabilitation he became the king of the play area, and got very used to staying with us. He didn’t realise the surprise that was awaiting him; prostheses, one to replace his right leg and one to support his left one. It is amazing how this relatively simple procedure can change a child’s life. After spending nine years crawling on the ground, his perspective of life and his surroundings changed dramatically!

So there he was, all of a sudden standing on his own two legs! The expression of sheer joy on his face was unforgettable; soon he was literally, yet a bit clumsily, dancing through our offices. When he had a quarrel with one of the other kids he would playfully take off his false leg, and be seen swinging the leg over his head and hopping after the other kid. A sight never to forget!