Sajina Tamang left Nepal for Chicago in July for pelvic and hip reconstruction surgery after being thrown from a fifth-floor balcony for refusing to comply with her abusive employer.
The 23-year-old, who went to Lebanon for a housekeeper job, endured two years of abuse. The fall left her unable to walk. She returned to Nepal with few medical options. Her story came to the attention of Operation Walk Chicago, health care professionals who perform free orthopedic surgery in developing countries. When Tamang’s injuries turned out to be too extensive, the organization brought her here, to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
In September, the Tribune chronicled her journey, and the following month she returned to Nepal. It will be six months before she can wean herself off crutches, said Dr. Victoria Brander. However, “her emotional scars are significant and may end up being more disabling than her physical ones,” Brander said.