Saraswoti Karki – 3

Helping a poor patient fight childhood cancer

18 year old Saraswoti is diagnosed with Extraosseous Ewing Sarcoma. She has a rare form of the Ewing Sarcoma in the retroperitoneum (pelvis region), and is currently being treated at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital.

We learnt about Saraswoti through social worker, Ms. Babita Shrestha. Due to the family’s dire financial constraints, she personally requested us to help Saraswoti. Saraswoti’s family is from a village, but they have come to the Kathmandu valley for her treatment, and were living in a small hut. We visited where Saraswoti was staying to understand her situation and see her living conditions. There, we talked to her father, Nirmal and her elder brother.

So far, Saraswoti has received 6 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy as per standard COG protocol for localized Ewing Sarcoma. Her medical team is planning for surgery, after which she will receive another 14 cycles of chemotherapy. However, Saraswoti’s family has run out of money after the first 6 cycles of chemotherapy. That is why we are doing all we can to help continue her chemotherapy and further treatment.