Local nurse receives royal honor

After more than 14 years of volunteer work, retired nurse Margrit Elliot, was recently honored by the king in the Southeast Asian country of Bhutan for her humanitarian efforts.

Elliot was awarded a gold medal in the National Order of Merit of Bhutan, the highest civil award given in the nation. The award ceremony took place in Eastern Bhutan on Dec. 17, the country’s National Day.

“Think of it like American Fourth of July and celebrates Bhutan being independent,” said Elliot. “It is usually held in the west of Bhutan, closer to the airports. But this year it was held in the east, which can take days of driving through mountains.”

In front of 25,000 attendants of the holiday and a film crew televising the event live, Elliot was honored with the award by the king His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk.

Since 2000, Elliot has worked with health organizations, such as Operation Smile and Rotaplast, to give medical aid in developing countries. After volunteering for a few years, she founded the Global Burn Care and Reconstructive Institute, which gave reconstructive surgeries for cleft lips and palates to patients.

“There was an invitation by the Health Ministry of Bhutan,” said Elliot. “To direct a small team to give continuity and training in Bhutan. We made trips out to help there and trained doctors back here in America.”

The organization then focused on burns and partnered with the Harborview Burn Center and University of Washington to give training to doctors from Bhutan.

“There is a much higher risk of burns in Bhutan. They have open fires in their homes for heat and cooking,” explained Elliot. “There was definitely a need. We would travel to villages, while the ministry would call on the radio ahead so they could prepare for us.”

In 2014, Elliot made more than 30 trips, with teams of doctors and nurses, to tour the country for these operations. After being home from a stint in October, she was notified late November about the award ceremony for mid-December.

“There was little time to plan, but all the arrangements were made,” said Elliot. Even with days of travel across the mountainous roads in Eastern Bhutan, both ways, Elliot was able to make a flight back home in time for Christmas.

“It all seems like a dream. It was an incredible honor and privilege to be there,” she said. “You don’t need to be in a big organization or have a lot of titles. You can make a difference in the world, if you set your mind to helping others.”