On Friday May 4, 2010, a 9 year old boy drowned to death.  The accident occurred in Nesmith Lake behind King's apartments where many Bhutanese refugees resettled.  The boy's name was Bishnu Kumar Nepal, son of Bhuwani Prasad Nepal and Parbata Nepal and he had just completed third grade from Sam Salem Elementary School.  The family came from the Timai refugee camp in Nepal and arrived in Akron, Ohio on May 27, 2009.
 
It was the first day of his summer vacation and he went swimming with some other boys in the lake behind the apartment without the knowledge of the adults.  He began to sink and his friends were not strong enough to pull him out. They ran for help but it was too late.  The police came.  His mother was present at the search and his father was at work at the time.  The father was brought home from work with news of the accident. The child was pulled from the water by paramedics with oxygen tanks after a search of nearly 50 minutes.  He was taken to the hospital while the paramedics attempted to revive him; however, it was too late.  He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
 
His body was kept at the funeral home for three days and the cremation was done on Monday, June 7, 2010.  For the funeral service, cremation and final ceremony (kaaj Kriya) we have gathered  $1800 from the Bhutanese community of Akron, $500 from Sewa International, $750 from the  International Institute of Akron, $200 from Donna Early and other individuals.  Many people came to the funeral from the Bhutanese community, the International Institute, the boy's school and SEWA International.  Several people made moving statements about the boy's good character.

The final ceremony was held on the 13th of June in the home of the late boy's grandfather.  

The Bhutanese Community Association of Akron played a major role in helping the family and our community cope.  We were able to gather together to help the family through planning, finances and emotional support.  This has been the first real test of our community's resolve to help one another and we've remained together well.  

The Bhutanese Community Association of Akron would like to thank all those in the community who came together to help this family in its time of need.  We could not make it through difficult times like the Nepal family experienced without the help of others.

Amber Subba

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