"She just turned 2 this February but we couldn't celebrate it because the only thought that was running through our minds was that this might be her last birthday. She was born to us after 5 years of marriage, she is our only happiness but now cancer threatens to take her away from us. The pain is too much for her. She still has a long way to go but I cannot afford to continue the treatment,"  - Anjum Shaikh, Mother.

She's in excruciating pain and there is nothing I can do to comfort her

In December, Arshiya suffered from very high fevers. In the beginning, her parents shrugged it off as a normal fever hoping for her to recover in a few days but it did not happen. They visited several hospitals around their hometown but it was not of much help. A suggestion from their relative to visit a hospital in Bombay led them to discover that Arshiya has blood cancer. Just a few days before her birthday, she started her chemotherapy sessions. The high dosage of medicines has caused severe allergies all over her skin. Doctors could hardly find any veins on her hands so the chemo port is inserted in her chest.

“ We  could not afford any rooms near the hospital, it is too expensive. We found a small room which is 1 hour away from the hospital. The moment we step out of the house, she begins to cry uncontrollably. She has become even more irritable and there is nothing that I can do to make her feel better. She vomits whatever she eats and she hardly sleeps. I cannot say in words how painful it is to see her suffer all the time." - Anjum Shaikh

Before the diagnosis

Our relatives don't earn enough to feed themselves, let alone help us with her treatment

Asgar Shaikh is a daily wager at a steel utensils factory. He earns around Rs 300 per day and can barely afford to visit his daughter as it is too expensive for him to travel and miss work for even a single day. Anjum has been taking care of baby Arshiya single-handedly. She is both physically and emotionally exhausted and she spends sleepless nights in fear of losing her only child.

"My brother is the only one who has helped us out, financially as well as morally. My in-laws are very poor, they cannot earn enough to save their own lives, let alone help us for the treatment. We don't know whom to turn to for help. Please help us save our daughter,” - Anjum Shaikh

2-year-old Arshiya will lose her life to cancer without urgent treatment and only your contribution can save her life