Prav, one of my favourite juniors during my anesthesia days. We hit it off from the time we met, progressing from junior to a friend. Pre anesthetic rounds and managing OT cases with her were fun and would be over in a jiffy as she picked up things very quickly.

It came as a shocker when I got to know she was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma in her final year MD. A bubbly, young, talented anesthetist in the making..her world had suddenly come to a standstill. A small lymph node which she had casually got tested, turned positive for lymphoma! She had started her life recently, married to the love of her life, career on full swing,  and had thebest of friends she could ask for.. suddenly life had thrown the toughest challenge at her.

But the way she handled the whole situation was amazing. Though she looked a lot different,she still had the same charming smile. She covered her head with a veil so that nobody noticed her hair fall, but I could not, not notice her zest for life. Though her hands were swollen and painful because of side effects of the chemo, her eyes always had that twinkle. Her body felt weak most of the time, but she had the courage to sit with her friends and study for exams. For she was a fighter, who did not believe in running away from problems..she stood there like a rock... It was no surprise for me when she cleared her exams.

The story is not yet done - This strong girl fought cancer and emerged survivor…but it seems, God is not done testing her. Her ordeal continues... the cancer sneaks in again.. this time a little more stronger, more stubborn..refuses to respond to any chemo. But she is still fighting it, with her will power, determination and that same charming smile.

From exhausting all the chemo agents and innumerable cycles, multiple hospital admissions, to being the spirited doctor who sits on the stairs waiting for her consultation amidst other patients, and empathizing with people suffering more than her..Prav is the epitome of strength.

Needless to say, her treatment has been expensive and her family has been able to pull up their finances to pay bills until now. She has now been offered Brentuximab which is an expensive drug costing around 9 lakhs INR per cycle. She has been advised 2 cycles of Brentex followed by stem cell transplant which will cost around 15 lakhs more. The insurance will not cover her charges as the drugs are monoclonal antibodies and the stem cell transplant is not approved under her policy.

We..her friends , urge you to come forward and help her in the battle she is fighting so bravely. The Brentux has been shown to offer good results in people with relapsed disease and we are really really desperate and hopeful at the same time. Please help us to help Prav - a braveheart, an inspiration.