The Deniliquin Hospital nurse, who now lives in Deni, sacrificed some of her sightseeing opportunities to put her skills to good use in the country.
Through the charitable organisation World Youth International’s Nurses in Action Program, Emily visited Nepal twice last year to provide medical assistance and education to its people.
Through personal fundraising of her own, and of others in each of her travel groups, they raised enough money to take doctors and some specialists to Nepal with them to provide treatment.
The money also helped supply medical items, including sanitary products, to some of the people they met.
For her involvement in the program, Emily has been named Edward River Council Young Citizen of the Year.
‘‘I felt so happy (to be told I had received the award); it’s so lovely,’’ Emily said.
‘‘I did not do any of this to be acknowledged — I did it to help others, and to help myself as well.
‘‘My nursing has now evolved a bit because of the experience, and I am more appreciative of what we have here in Australia.’’
Emily’s first trip to Nepal was in March last year.
She said it was by chance she learned about World Youth International, through a social media post.
She said after research, she felt participating in the program was the best way to see Nepal and help its communities.
‘‘The first trip was four weeks and for the first two we were based at a hospital in Pokhara, which was really pretty and had a bit of a tourist vibe.
‘‘We provided loads of education to children at schools and to women’s groups, and we also held some mini medical camps.
‘‘We (the participating group) had raised enough money to take two doctors with us so they could provide treatment too.
‘‘In the final two weeks we spent time at two different outreach villages again providing education and medical camps.
‘‘We took a dentist, gynaecologist and a couple of doctors with us.
‘‘I then went back to Nepal in November and December, this time as a team leader and we did the same thing all over again.’’
Emily said Nepal was a ‘‘beautiful place’’ and she got a lot of fulfilment out of the program, and has not ruled out participating in the program again if her work schedule permits.
‘‘I would love to go back to Nepal,’’ she said.
‘‘I had wanted to go there and I knew I wanted to do some volunteering at some stage too.
‘‘I loved how the program was organised, that we got to go to different places and to the villages, and that we were able to stay with Nepalese families.
‘‘I got to see so much of the country and really do some hands on work.’’
Emily said while there were numerous differences in health care between the two countries, the focus of the program was on hygiene.
‘‘We provided a lot of education to women about menstrual health and hygiene,’’ she said.
‘‘In Nepal they don’t really talk about it, and they don’t have access to tampons and other sanitary items.
‘‘We met one woman who, with her husband, has been sewing reusable and water proof sanitary pads. We bought as many of them from her as she could make and we were giving them away.
‘‘She really blew me away.
‘‘With the children we spoke about general hand hygiene and dental hygiene.
‘‘We also did a lot of work with burns, because they still cook with open flames in Nepal so burns are pretty common.’’
Emily graduated from La Trobe University Bendigo as a nurse in 2017.
Before transferring to Deniliquin Hospital six months ago she was working at Echuca Regional Health and for Southern Cross Home Care.
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