After surviving seven days lost on Everest, the veteran Nepali climbing guide now faces a different kind of mountain rebuilding his life. And he is not doing it alone.
Dawa Hillary Sherpa spent more than half his life on the slopes of Everest. For decades, the 57-year-old climbing guide named after Sir Edmund Hillary by fellow climbers who recognized his extraordinary skill walked those dangerous ridges so others could reach their dreams. The mountains were not just his passion. They were his livelihood. His family’s bread and butter.
Then came the seven days that changed everything.
After his miraculous survival on Everest lost at altitude for a week before being found alive Dawa was airlifted to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu, where he is currently receiving treatment. He can no longer work. The income has stopped. And back home, his family waits.
His story has moved people around the world. And they are doing something about it.
Our team at Sherpa Legend visited the hospital yesterday to get a update on Dawa Hillary Sherpa’s condition. We are sharing this because we have been following his story closely and have raised questions and done follow-up reporting since the beginning.
The doctors say there is also a possibility of paralysis because he stayed in a very cold place for many days, and his blood seems to have almost frozen. He is still in the ICU. He can speak properly, but he cannot move his legs.
Dawa’s daughter Mendo Lhamu Sherpa shared a update from the Doctors
The Sherpas are a simple, close-knit family. They are not active on social media and do not have an easy way to reach the wider world on their own. We spoke with Nuru Sherpa, the brother of Dawa’s wife, about how a small platform like ours could help. His request was straightforward to help spread the word about the official fundraiser.
Official Organizing Committee Formed to Manage the Fundraiser
An organizing committee has now been officially formed to oversee the fundraising campaign. The committee has requested that supporters not send money to individuals, and instead contribute only through the official GoFundMe page.
The committee is led by Stephen Sellman as Organizer, with Mendo Lhamu Sherpa, Dawa’s daughter, as Co-organizer, and Nuru Sherpa as Coordinator. Supporting the effort are Chris Thrall, Michelle Haslam, and Everest Live (Ben Ayers). The committee has thanked all donors and emphasized that all contributions must go through the designated GoFundMe campaign to ensure full transparency.
The goal, as Sellman put it simplyraise enough money so that Dawa never has to risk his life on a mountain again.
Every rupee. Every dollar. Straight to the family.
Mendo Lhamu Sherpa just turned 18. She recently completed her School Leaving Examinations what is known in Nepal as SEE . She is a strong, dedicated student and currently studying Hotel Management at V.S. Niketan College .
Dawa’s medical treatment is expected to be covered by insurance. But insurance does not pay the rent, put food on the table, or pay school fees. His family’s long-term financial security remains deeply uncertain.
Dawa is a man who gave his young life to the Himalayas and kept giving well into his 50s. He guided. He carried. He led strangers safely up and back down the world’s most dangerous peak, season after season.
He lost seven days on that mountain. He nearly lost everything.
Now, for the first time in his adult life, the mountain community and a wider world that learned his name through his extraordinary survival is giving something back.
The hope is simple that after everything Dawa has endured, he can finally rest. That his daughter can study. That his wife does not have to worry. And that the man who served the mountains so faithfully will be looked after, just as he looked after so many others.
For those wishing to donate directly to the family, contact details for Dawa’s wife, Damu Sherpa, and Nuru Sherpa can be obtained by writing to info@sherpalegend.com.
Please share this as widely as you can. We hope our next update brings better news. Best wishes to Dawa, his family, and everyone keeping watch over him.
