10 places for the Royal Parks Half Marathon!

BREAKING NEWS!

Doctors for Nepal has just secured 10 places for the Royal Parks Half Marathon on Sunday 7th October 2012.  

This is London's most beautiful run and with only 13.1 miles to cover, is like a stroll in the park for keen runners (forgive the pun). 

Furthermore, we will only require you to pledge to raise £500 for DFN.

If you fancy joining the other 12,500 runners taking part in this, do get in contact with us asap and spread the word to anyone else you know who would like to take part in this with us.

For inspiration, read more about Nina and Ryan's fundraising efforts.

Ryan's running flat out for Doctors for Nepal!

Ryan, another one of Doctors for Nepal's intrepid runners preparing for the 2012 Brighton Marathon. 

"As this is my first marathon, I’m slowly settling into the training schedule and realising how big an undertaking this is!

I’m training with a fellow junior doctor, running home a couple times a week from Worthing to Brighton, and slowly upping our mileage week by week.

Praying we won’t get more cold weather down south, it’s definitely cold enough on our early morning and late night runs!

New running shoes on the way to give me the extra boost I’ll need in the coming weeks..

My justgiving page is www.justgiving.com/ryanhogannepal.

Please support me in fundraising to get more local doctors on the ground in these struggling communities."

Ryan is a brilliant supporter of Doctors for Nepal. As a medical student, he went out to the district of Kalikot, Western Nepal, last year for five weeks to support Doctors for Nepal's efforts and was particularly moved by the challenges that rural healthcare workers experience out there.

It is now too late to join Ryan in the 2012 Brighton Marathon, but there is always a plethora of charity events to take part in for Doctors for Nepal.

Or if you are more of an eater than a runner, it is not too late to join us at Wilderness Wood for DFN's unique candlelit fundraiser cooked by celebrity chef Manju Malhi on 17th March.

Read about Nina' Haefele, the unstoppable DFN runner.

Nina Haefele is unstoppable!

Doctors for Nepal's intrepid fundraiser, Nina Haefele

In 2012, Nina will be running the Brighton Marathon and raising funds for Doctors for Nepal, AGAIN!

Visit her Just-Giving Page and support this intrepid fundraiser that no amount of miles can stop!

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Here is her latest training update:

"Not much to say as of yet!

It will be my second marathon and that as part of my preparation, I will be running the Brighton Half Marathon in February.

Best training run so far was a run in snowy Austria over Christmas.

So far, no injuries, no lows.

Loving the pain and the cold and the blisters!

Planning on going for a training run in the desert in Jordan in February.

And no, I'm NOT joking...!"

So, do support our crazy runner via her Just Giving Page. We are eagerly awaiting photos from her Jordanian training!

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We hope you all find inspiration in her immensely commendable headstrong fundraising efforts and maybe even join her on the marathon or other running events and to raise funds for Doctors for Nepal!

We love fundraisers like her :)

Exams, SPANDAN & a new baby for Lalit

Lalit, DFN's first sponsored student
now in his third year at medical school

Namaste!!

I hope you both are well and good.

My study of final year is going very well. I have to study the major subjects (Medicine, Surgery, Pediatric, Gynecology and Obstetric)  in final year. This year is vital to become a good doctor so I have to study and do good in clinical.
I have got my Mark-sheet a few days back for my latest exams and I have passed!

I became the EDITOR-IN-CHIEF of my college yearly magazine called SPANDAN. It is one of the important work during the study in my college. I have built the team to work for the magazine. The Principal and M.D. has given this responsibility to me.

Aruna, Lalit's wife and Alen, his daughter
with Dr Kate Yarrow last January

My parents and family in village are happy with my result that I passed. My brother is in Kalikot hospital doing a volunteer job after finishing his H.A. course. He is trying to find the job there.

My family in Kathmandu are also good. GOOD NEWS-Aruna is 24 weeks pregnency, she is healthy and good in Kathmandu in her father's house. Alen is also doing well, healthy and had started school.


Bye with lots of love,
Your Nepali son,
Lalit Jung Shahi

Lalits latest exam results for his 3rdMBBS

What are the health seeking needs in Padampokhari by Meena

Meena, DFN's student, on her second community posting in Padampokhari VDC, 5 hours away from Kathmandu

Namaste,

I hope you all are fine. Nahakul and I am also fine here. Did you reach safely there? 

In our second community posting, I was posted at Padampokhari VDC of Makwanpur district. It is a 5 hour bus ride from Kathmandu. 

Understanding the health needs in rural areas is a cornerstone of DFN's work

The duration of posting was one week. Within that one week, we learnt about the educational level, health seeking behaviors, socio-economic and health status of people in community. It was really a great experience for me.

My formative exam result has also arrived and it didn’t turn out to be so good but now I am working hard for my upcoming summative exam which starts from December 11. I have been facing problems in computer and mathematics but I’m trying my best to improve.

Hope to keep in touch.

Yours sincerely,

Meena Kafle Chaulagain

Meena's fellow students on her second community posting

Return to Patan Academy for Dr Kate Yarrow

Meeting the chairs of the Patan Academy at its 7th Consultative Meeting

I was honoured to be invited to Kathmandu in October to participate in the Annual International Consultative Meeting for Patan Academy over 5 days. This meeting is one of  many great minds from across the globe, composed by eminent professors and deans from a variety of worldwide institutions such as Harvard University. The panel was chaired by professor Cliff Tabin, professor of genetics at Harvard.

The aim of this meeting was to tackle the future training needs of the medical students in relation to the complex healthcare needs of rural Nepal.

The main outcome for DFN was strengthened links with Patan Academy, a better understanding of the dire healthcare situation in rural Nepal, and a clearer future for our aims and goals as a charity.

DFN's three students, Lalit, Meena and Nahakul with Dr Kate Yarrow and Rajesh Gongal, Patan's Dean

Accompanied by Lalit, our current sponsored student, I was also able to meet with our two new students Meena and Nahakul, both of whom, we are very proud to say, have now signed their contacts with DFN and Patan. I was also able to deliver a large batch of donated medical books and laptops to help them with their studies.

The delegates at the Annual International Consultative Meeting for Patan Academy

Nina, Mrinmayee, Abishek and Mark all sweat for Doctors for Nepal

On Sunday 9th October, four intrepid DFN supporters put on their running shoes to raise vital funds for our future doctors taking on the Royal Parks Half Marathon, a race which takes participants from The Green Park along the Thames, up to Temple Tube Station and back down to Kensington Garden through Hyde Park.

Between the three of them, Nina, Mrinmayee & Abishek have raised just over £1,500

We are very proud to say that our four runners, Nina, Mrinmayee, Abishek and Mark all completed the Royal Parks Half Marathon in, let's say it, near Olympic times!Mrinmayee finished in 2:30:00, Abishek in 2:28:46 and Nina finished in a record 1:58:14.

"I did it in a (personal best) time of 1.48.48 which placed me 2298 out of. 12000 so I'm quite pleased." Mark

Between the four of them, our athletes raised just over £2000 with donations still coming in, Mark raising £445 through his Just Giving page.

Taking part in similar events for DFN is a very effective way of fundraising and help us raise our profile. We are extremely thankful to those of you who take part in such events to support our students.

So, a big thank you to all four of you for choosing to support Doctors for Nepal. With two new medical students on board and thanks to your funds, we are one step closer to providing better healthcare in the remote areas of Nepal.