“My 7-year-old daughter, Bhavya, gets tired even if she climbs 2-3 stairs. She gasps for breath and sits down to rest. It’s so painful to see my little child doesn’t even have the strength to do even the daily activities. I have left no stone unturned to keep her alive so far. I don’t know how long will I be able to do this alone.”

This single mother is fighting every day to save her only daughter 

Shruti has been taking care of her only daughter Bhavya single-handedly for years now. This single mother has never let Bhavya feel the vacuum of her father. She has pulled day and nights together just to ensure that Bhavya’s heart defect doesn’t kill her.

“When my baby girl was born, she had a swelling in the kidney which caused some temporary problem. But until she was 7 months I had no idea that her heart was slowly giving up on her. She had some breathing problems and fever. Doctors told me that it wasn’t a usual viral fever, but she has a ventricular septal defect which means a hole in the heart.”

Without even a fault of hers, Bhavya never could be with her father

In January 2017, tests carried out showed that there was some hope. Bhavya was recovering and her heart hole was getting a closure. Before Shruti could get accustomed to the happiness, it was taken away from her yet again. A few months later, reports showed that nothing had really changed and the little girl got back to where it all started.

“My husband has never really chosen to turn back and even visit his sick daughter. It’s been 2 years that I got a divorce. A girl child is usually closest to her dad. But for my Bhavya, her dad didn’t even give her the scope to bond with him. We had problems, but I don’t get what did Bhavya do to deserve this.”

Quitting her job wasn’t enough for this single mother

Shruti has been the sole bread-winner and has played both parents for Bhavya. She has never let her resentments touch Bhavya. Bhavya barely remembers her father. All she knows is that she just has her mother.

“There was no one who could have taken care of my sick daughter. I used to work in a bank. But when I had to keep going back to the doctors and give more time to Bhavya, I had to quit my job. Now I stay with my parents and run my parlor to support my family. I try to work for extra hours so that my daughter’s treatment doesn’t stop. But with bad business months setting in, I can’t even afford to pay my shop rent. How will I manage to afford the treatments.”

Money has been the only thing that has stayed in the path of getting Bhavya cured

Bhavya’s heart is gradually failing because of the hole. She gets recurring fevers and her cough and cold seem to be her best friend. She needs to undergo a VSD closure surgery so that she can survive. She can no longer do her daily activities like a normal child because she is too tired. The little girl keeps herself busy with her drawing books because her paintings are the only things that don’t make her suffer.

“Every visit that I have been making to the hospitals, I have spent Rs 4000. There’s no fixed income that I can make. My life has been on adjustments. But Bhavya is in no position to adjust because her heart won’t let her do that. Her surgery is already delayed because I had no money. I am too scared now.”

How you can help?

7-year-old Bhavya has a hole in the heart and she needs an urgent surgery to live. The cost required is Rs 3 lakhs and her single mother has no means left to save her. She is desperately waiting to get some help.