Just two months after little Aayush was declared cancer-free, his entire body got paralyzed. He has been on ventilator support ever since. It’s been 4 months since that fateful day, and Aayush still hasn’t said a single word. When Anand and Sridevi talk to him, he just stares at them blankly.

“He understands what we are saying, but he can only respond with his eyes. He has just been lying there, helpless for months together." - Anand, father

The 5-year-old woke up to find that his body had frozen, he could not even scream

At the beginning of last year when Aayush’s blood cancer was first diagnosed, Anand wasted no time in taking him from Dharwad to Bangalore for his treatment. He even rented a small room near the hospital for the 6 months of his chemotherapy. After all those months, Aayush was declared cancer-free – their efforts were not in vain, or so they thought.

“He just needed to go for a check-up every month and take medicines. We thought it was the end of his suffering, but one day when he woke up in the morning, he couldn’t move his legs. My wife was terrified as she saw him crying and we rushed him to the hospital.” - Anand, father

Aayush has acute severe neuropathy. For people with cancer, chemotherapy or cancer itself can cause nerve damage. Hence, resulting in weakness, numbness or paralysis in the body.

Anand has already spent 20 lakhs on Aayush’s treatment

For 4 months now, Anand has been travelling to Bangalore every week to see Aayush. He can’t stay with him in the hospital as he’s the sole breadwinner of the family. Anand works in a factory in Dharwad as a machine operator and earns Rs. 11,000 per month.

“I’ve already spent 20 lakhs on his cancer treatment, I can’t afford another 20 more. I have loans and people to repay. I also have two other children to take care of. My income is just not enough."

Aayush's entire family is waiting for him to come home, but their support isn’t enough to save him

Aayush’s grandmother and uncle visit him in the hospital every day. Since Sridevi had to go back to Dharwad to take care of their older 2 children, everyone else in the family has come forward to help them. Aayush is the youngest in the family, and all they want is for him to go back to the cheerful child he once was.


Aayush's grandmother in the ICU with him

However, despite their family’s support, Anand and Sridevi can’t afford Aayush’s treatment. They have already borrowed from them for his cancer treatment. Aayush needs to stay in the ICU for at least 8 more weeks to recover. 

Aayush has been lying in the ICU bed for 4 months without being able to move. He hasn’t given up, but his parents don’t have the means to save him. Together, we can save Aayush from his pain.