Young girl is stricken with rare from
of cancer
By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer
They grew up in the shadow of Mount
Everest in Katmandu, Nepal. Generations of the family have climbed the peak,
while carrying the packs of tourists.
Last year, the Ang Norbu Sherpa family
moved to the Wood River Valley to put their four daughters in school. They have
ties to this area due to the many residents who’ve trekked through the Himalayas
with Norbu’s company, Chomolungma Treking and Expedition.
Nima Sherpa
Photo by Jim Dowen
Nima, 13, is the youngest in the family,
and a seventh-grader at the Wood River Middle School. Her sister Diki is a
junior at the Wood River High School and sister Tshering, who attended The
Community School, now goes to Albertson College. The eldest, Sonum, is at
Palomar Junior College.
But while the family has adjusted in
numerous ways to the expected culture shock, the shock of Nima’s being diagnosed
with pediatric colon cancer has hit it hard. Discovered only two weeks ago, she
had immediate exploratory surgery performed at St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise.
The risk of colon cancer rises
substantially at age 50, but every year there are numerous cases in younger
people. However, so rare is an occurrence in a child of 13, that an Internet
search reveals not one site that deals specifically with the subject.
Nima and her mother Lhahakpa are currently
living in the Ronald McDonald House across the street from St. Luke’s children’s
hospital in Boise.
Nima is undergoing radiation and
chemotherapy every day for five weeks. She has lost almost 20 pounds, and will
undergo further surgery to remove the tumor later in the summer.
Despite the fact that she is covered for
accidents under the Wood River Middle School’s insurance, as are many other
children, the family has no health insurance.
To help defray the extensive medical costs
donations are being accepted at Nima Sherpa Benefit Fund, Box 415, Ketchum,
833440. An account has been set up at Wells Fargo Bank.