Tsagay was severely injured by a bear exactly two years ago. He was left blind in his left eye, and his face had a significant hole in it. He also lost his nose. Following the incident, local doctors in India performed a skin transplant on the affected area of his face, which was located on the right side.

When he moved back to Bhutan, he was able to spend more time with his family, but he was no longer self-sufficient and was unable to care for them. He is well aware of the good fortune that has allowed him to continue living. Scarring in his one surviving eye, the right one, made it difficult for him to see, and he also had a hard time chewing and swallowing. Tsagay was completely reliant upon the support of his family.

During their time in Bhutan, the medical staff at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Thimphu were able to put Tsagay in contact with a volunteer surgical team from Interplast. Together, they started the process of reconstructing Tsagay’s nose while also evaluating whether or not he would need more surgery in the future to debulk the current skin transplant and relieve the scarring to his right eye.

Tsagay said, “Before the surgery, I required additional assistance.”

“Thanks to this newfound ability, I have more room for self-reliance.”

Tsagay is aware that he will need other surgical procedures over the course of time, but he is ready to return.

“With Interplast, my treatment is getting better, and I have the opportunity to live a better life,” he added. “I couldn’t be more grateful.”