Pratik and his family needs help!

This website now accepts donations from people outside the US as well.

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Hello. I am Pratik Chhetri, a Nepali national, and currently a Masters in Science (M.S.-Chemistry) candidate at Central Michigan University. Life has been very different for me and my family since May 31, 2011. Because of a tragic accident last year (see 'My Story' below), my family has had to go through a very difficult time emotionally, psychologically and financially.

I have set up this donation account to help alleviate some of the financial burden from my family's shoulders. YOUR HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!

My Story:

On May 31, 2011 after my graduation from CMU, my mom, Geeta Chhetri,  and I were traveling when the bus we were riding was overturned on I-95 in Virginia because the bus driver fell asleep at the wheel. [My mom came to the US for the first time to attend my graduation ceremony.] My mom suffered from severe spinal cord injuries and was at an Intensive Care Unit of a Virginia hospital for a month. Consequently, she now has limited mobility in her arms and is paralysed below her waist confining her to a wheelchair. I suffered from several fractured vertebrae myself, although compared to my mom's injuries- these seem minor. My sister Pragati, a registered nurse in Nepal, had to come over, to take care of my mom and me since both of us were at the hospital then. My sister is still in the US, and my mom is almost totally dependent on her (physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, bathroom needs, etc.)

More information on the accident can be accessed here: https://sites.google.com/site/pratikfund/ (this website was set up by some of my friends immediately after the accident)

Why this fundraiser?

I am currently a graduate student with limited stipends (<$1200 a month). With almost $700 a month in rent for a two-bedroom, wheel-chair accessible apartment, and about $250- 300 a month for food (for my mom, sister and me), there is not much left for other expenses. Here, other expenses include attorney's fees, my mom's medications (which are about $250 a month, but soon expected to exceed $400 a month), and other immigration-related fees for my sister and my mom.

Besides those costs, I am also applying to various schools to further my education (doctoral degree- PhD) in biomedical sciences/ biochemistry. The money raised from this website will NOT be used in the application process for my higher education, but please understand that I do need to be able to save some money from my monthly stipends, in order to do so.

At the moment, this fundraiser is primarily to help cover the expenses for my mom's immigration process (explained in the next section), and to help cover the cost of her medicines.

Attorney's fees: $1500 left (discounted rate, given financial conditions of my family)

Expert witnesses at the immigration court: $2000-$2500 (These professionals have credible academic degrees and work experience on political, and religious cultures in Nepal, and would testify on why my mom cannot return to Nepal.)

Medications: $400 a month for the next 12 months ($400*12= $4800)

Why does Geeta not return to Nepal?

Because of lack of wheel-chair friendly infrastructure, if she is sent back to Nepal, she will pretty much be bed-ridden for the rest of her life. Besides, she will not receive the best health care services there, and because of her condition, she is subject to more medical complications in the future. Moreover, my mom is also in risk of severe discrimination and persecution from several societal and religious forces in Nepal. (Physically disabled people are considered 'sinners' and a burden to the society in traditionally Hindu Nepali culture.)

Therefore, despite her willingness to return to Nepal and be with my father (who she has not seen since April 2011), she just cannot do so. [My father, on the other hand, cannot visit us in the US because he has to stay in Nepal to perform my grandmother's year-long post-death rituals until February 2013- my grandmother died in February of this year.]

What happened to all the money that was raised last year?

Immediately following the accident last year, some of my friends had set up a website (https://sites.google.com/site/pratikfund/) to help reduce the immediate financial burden. That fundraising effort (plus in-person donations) helped generate a total of about $24,000, from an overwhelming 500+ generous individuals from all over the world, for which my family is forever indebted. The money was used for medical, legal and living expenses of my mom and my sister. Please contact me directly at pratikfund@gmail.com or, at chhet1p@cmich.edu if you would like to see the list of all the expenses. We ran out of it in late June this year, and I have been using money from my personal savings since then, for any and all needed expenses.

What about the compensations from the responsible bus company?

Since there were 5 casualties at the accident, the criminal lawsuit is on-going in court as of now. The civil lawsuit (that deals with monetary compensation) does not even start until April 2013, which will probably be dragged on for another year or two after that (which I have been told, is typical in such cases). So far, the hospital bills for my mom and me have come so high that we will be lucky if the compensations from the lawsuits cover the hospital bills and the attorney's fees (a different attorney especially for the accident).

Is this option (fundraising) sustainable?

No, it is not. But, I am hopeful that my mom's immigration application will be approved as an 'asylee' soon, so that she could get some monetary help from the government, and so that she could be enrolled in the Medicaid program soon. By then, I will hopefully be in a PhD program which has a higher stipend compared to a Master's degree. My sister might be in a better position to help support the family financially too. At the moment, all my family has is HOPE for a better future.

I understand you might have other questions. Please email me directly at pratikfund@gmail.com if so, and I will try my best to answer them.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR READING THIS UNFORTUNATE STORY OF MY FAMILY AND HOPE YOU CAN HELP WITH MONETARY CONTRIBUTION AND/OR BY SHARING THIS STORY WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES.

Sincerely,

Pratik Chhetri, and the Chhetri family

1601 S Washington Court, Apt #K14

Mount Pleasant, MI 48858, USA

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This website now accepts donations from people outside the US as well.

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