FOR A GOOD CAUSE:Traveling with a sense of purpose

As a volunteer with Share Our Selves, Our Lady Queen of Angels and the Environmental Nature Center, Newport Beach’s Jeanne Fisher knows there is plenty of good work to be done right here in the community.

Fisher’s adventurous spirit, however, was roused when her older sister proposed a trip to northern India, where the pair would volunteer their nursing skills with the Dalit Freedom Network, an international nonprofit dedicated to empowering the socially and economically oppressed Dalit people.

She agreed immediately, and on Monday, at 74 years old and recuperating from a waterskiing accident in April when she broke both her legs, Fisher excitedly packed her bags.

“A lot of people think I’m crazy for going on this trip, but I don’t,” said Fisher, who has joined a gym to ensure her legs are back in shape in time for her March 8 departure. “I was really happy to get my life back, so I’ve got to do more than just play golf and ski.”

But her daughter-in-law Christine Allard was not at all surprised by Fisher’s decision, describing the retired nurse as an “extraordinary human being” and a “great athlete.”

“The idea that she’s going to India right now really speaks to how determined she is not to let things hold her back and to keep living her life in such a meaningful way,” Allard said.

During her two-week stay, Fisher will join a group of about 30 doctors, nurses, dentists and others to set up medical clinics in villages outlying the city of Lucknow, where they will reside.

In conjunction with Indian healthcare professionals and translators, the volunteer unit plans to treat more than 1,000 patients, some with basic needs such as wound infections and dental cavities, or those suffering from tuberculosis or malaria.

Because of caste discrimination and lack of funding, Dalits are often unable to acquire the medical attention they need, said Albert Chen, coordinator of medical services for Dalit Freedom Network.

“The people we serve really have no recourse as far as medical treatment,” said Chen, who has been to India several times. “These volunteers are irreplaceable.”

As the only representative of the West Coast, Fisher has been busy getting to know her fellow travelers through e-mail, and using the Internet to learn more about Indian culture and geography, though she is still “not sure what to expect.”

Food is often one of the most interesting and fun aspects of this avid traveler’s many journeys, but for this trip, Fisher’s purpose is much greater.

“I want to show them they’re loved and that they are people who deserve some care and someone to recognize them, if nothing else,” she said.

“And I want to at least see the Taj Mahal.”

HOW TO HELP

To help Jeanne Fisher and fellow volunteers reach their goal of supplying medical aid to more than 1,000 Indian adults and children, she is collecting various supplies, including:

Prenatal and children’s vitamins.

Wash cloths.

Duct tape.

AAA and AA batteries.

Soap.

Wound dressings.

Liquid bandages.

Antibiotic cream (such as Neosporin).

Antifungal cream.

Rubber gloves.

To make a donation, call or e-mail Jeanne Fisher at (949) 548-9290 or jmfisher@pacbell.net.