In the Words of Bob Seger — I’m Going to Kathmandu!
It’s Wednesday, September 9th. At least it was Wednesday September 9th when we began our journey in Des Moines. We’re now into our 3rd flight across three continents, and I’m honestly not certain what day it is or where we are right now.
Let me backtrack a bit. We are Above + Beyond Cancer, a non-profit organization committed to elevating the lives of those touched by cancer to create a healthier world. We began our life as an organization in Nepal in 2011 when I led a group of 29 cancer survivors and caregivers on a mind-body-spirit journey to Mount Everest Basecamp. None of us realized what we were giving birth to in 2011. Over the years, Above + Beyond Cancer has touched the lives of thousands of cancer survivors and the public at large by addressing the physical, psychological, practical and spiritual needs of cancer survivors and their families. Our journeys have taken cancer survivors to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, up the Andes Mountains to Machu Picchu, and across the United States on bicycle and then again on foot. We have also helped cancer survivors explore their inner dimensions by providing mindfulness meditation classes and a wellness program in collaboration with the YMCA.
Our original plan for the fall of 2015 was to go on a pilgrimage to the most sacred mountain in the world, Mount Kailash in Tibet. Then, the massive earthquake struck in the Himalayas and we decided that there were more important things to be done. Instead of going on a traditional mountain trek, Above + Beyond Cancer planned a medical mission to help the cancer survivor community in Nepal. Today we begin that journey.
I am travelling with 22 cancer survivors and caregivers on this medical mission/journey. Our group is made up of 10 cancer survivors and 12 caregivers including 2 physicians, 3 nurses, and 2 radiation therapists. The 10 cancer survivors include men and women, age 20 to 70, survivors of breast cancer, bone cancer, head and neck cancer, melanoma, sarcoma and lymphoma. The caregivers include mothers, brothers, daughters and sons who have lost loved-ones to cancer. Cancer is the common bond that binds us, along with our desire to use our talents and compassion to make a positive difference in the world.
We are excited to begin our work in Nepal, but first we have to get there. A quick look at a globe will reveal that Nepal is literally halfway around the world. At 3 p.m. on this Wednesday afternoon we meet at the Des Moines Airport to complete some last minute packing. Instead of backpacks filled with hiking boots and mountain gear, we are taking medical supplies, blankets and personal items to provide comfort to cancer patients and their families in Nepal. We will also be meeting with members of the Nepal Cancer Relief Society and helping to create a Nepal Cancer Survivor program.
The airport lobby looks like a yard sale as we try to pack as much as we can into our checked luggage and carry-on bags. We have many boxes of new medical equipment that was donated to us for this mission trip. We are also taking homemade quilts, including some that were made by the honor students at Marshalltown High School, a beautiful patchwork quilt made by Nurse Peggy Sue at the Mercy Cancer Center and comforters made by patients and their families. Included in the stockpile are 2 bushels of mint-condition Beanie Babies that a young speech therapist provided to us to give to the children in Nepal undergoing cancer treatment. It is a collection that she had carefully collected and preserved since her early childhood. We don’t take lightly the precious cargo she has bestowed upon us.
Several radio and TV reporters meet us at the airport this afternoon. Our journey has created a bit of a buzz. Although there are many medical mission trips that go abroad, not many include cancer survivors helping other cancer survivors. I listen in as the survivors share their stories with the reporters; stories of their own cancer journey and stories of how they came to the realization that they are blessed by having this opportunity to help others.
Mickell is a 24-year-old Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor. She is one year out from her diagnosis — still trying to figure out what it means to be a survivor as she continues to navigate the healthcare system with lots of follow-up tests and scans. Believe it or not, when Mickell gets on the plane today and begins her journey around the globe, it will be the first time she will ever have been on an airplane. We are all excited with her and for her as we begin the journey.
Jake, a 21 year-old osteosarcoma survivor shares with us the family dimension of his cancer journey. He was diagnosed with a malignant osteosarcoma of the maxillary facial sinus when he was 10 years old. He had surgery followed by years of weekly chemotherapy. He describes the weekly trips to Iowa City from West Des Moines. He’d get hooked up to IV lines for chemotherapy on Friday and get “unhooked” and discharged on Monday in time to return to West Des Moines for school. His cancer treatment became the focal point for his entire family for over a year. At age 10, he recognized the seriousness of his diagnosis primarily by the effect it had on his parents’ demeanor. Cancer became a family journey, not just a personal journey. Jake recalls the fear and trepidation of beginning 5th grade as a bald cancer patient. But he grins as remembers how his classmates and teachers shaved their heads that fall in in a show of support.
Jake is currently a senior at Iowa State University majoring in Political Science and Economics. He’s has spent several summers in the Middle East and has become fluent in Arabic. He plans on pursuing a graduate degree in foreign relations. He has a keen intelligence and a deep spirituality that has been fostered by his time in the middle East and by his cancer experience. He tells me that his cancer journey was also a catalyst for his family becoming more connected with their spirituality and their Christian faith. Cancer is a lot of things — including a teacher. Jake’s life has been changed forever and he intends to use the blessing he has been given to make the world a better place.
Rhonda is a caregiver from Colfax, Iowa. The story she tells the reporter today is not one of survival against incredible odds. Rhonda is on this trip as a caregiver because her daughter, Kerri, died of breast cancer at age 33. Kerri was a beautiful daughter, mother, wife and healthcare worker. She had summited Mount Kilimanjaro in January 2012 with Above + Beyond Cancer just a year after completing cancer treatment. Tragically, her cancer recurred 3 months later and she died of that summer. Her daughter Lily, now 7, still remembers her mother as “the mountain climber.” Rhonda is bringing a prayer flag with her to Nepal that she made in memory of Kerri. It will fly in Nepal along with the flags of 250 others who are honored and memorialized on others that we carry with us. Kerri lives on in the genes of her beautiful daughter, and in the hearts and minds of all those who knew and loved her. Even after death Kerri continues to inspire and motivate those she touched to create a better world.
It’s time for us to make our way up the escalator to find our departure gate. We’ll fly first to Chicago, then from Chicago to Istanbul, Turkey. After a short layer-over in Turkey, we’ll fly to Kathmandu, Nepal on Friday morning.
Before boarding the plane in Des Moines, Sarah shares with me her cancer story. Sarah is a 42-year-old breast cancer survivor from Newton. She’s also a nurse. She’s just one year out from her cancer diagnosis and treatment. The memories of her cancer journey are still vivid. Like most cancer survivors, her journey was not one that she would have willing chosen. She recalls the difficulties of surgery and chemotherapy. She describes the effect that her cancer journey had on herself and her children. Although they loved their mom and would do anything for her, they longed for a “normal life” that didn’t include a bald mom and lots of neighbors and friends fussing over them. But out of the journey, Sarah and her children have gained a greater appreciation for the kindness and generosity of friends, families, and caregivers. Part of the aftermath of cancer for Sarah and her family is a heightened sense of compassion for others.
Our flight to Chicago is uneventful. We all help Mickell celebrate her first flight as she shrieks in delight with hands above her head as we successfully land in Chicago. We scurry through O’Hare airport and make it to Terminal 5 in time to board our Turkish Air flight for Istanbul. It’s a 9-hour flight and our sense of time totally disappears as we cross an ocean and a handful of time zones.
We regret that we don’t have time to explore the city of Istanbul. The airport alone, however, is worth the trip. As we wait to board our next flight to Kathmandu we look on in amazement as individuals of multiple and varied cultures pass by on their way to their respective departure gates. There is a group of Hassidic Jews in black attire with black hats and long strands of curled hair hanging out of their hats and down along side their faces. They appear to be on their way to the Ukraine. Beside the group of Jews is a group of African Muslims in brightly colored clothes on their way to Mecca. On the other side of the terminal is a group of Arabs dressed in very minimalistic white robes that look like bath towels. And all three groups are probably looking at us — a group of 22 wide-eyed Americans dressed in matching Above + Beyond Cancer t-shirts! Just an average day in the airport at Kathmandu where East meets West and cultures mix and fuse.
As we board the plane that will take us to Kathmandu tonight (or is it tomorrow, or perhaps yesterday), a Nepali woman from London comments on our t-shirts. What is Above + Beyond Cancer, she asks. Diane, a Hodgkin lymphoma survivor and Mercy nurse, explains to her the nature of our organization and our mission. The woman breaks into tears. She’s on her way to Kathmandu to visit her 6-year-old niece who is in the hospital receiving chemotherapy for brain cancer. Diane shares a moment with her and once we are on the plane, Diane provides a blank prayer flag to her so that she can create a memory to honor her niece. Diane is moved by the experience. We are all still trying to figure out this cancer thing — every day provides a new twist. This next week in Nepal will be transformative for all of us. We will immerse ourselves in a new culture and be prepared to learn what Nepal can teach us about ourselves.
