In the past one month, 14-year-old Ashwini Muttappa has received 26 bags of blood. The childhood she once knew is but a distant memory to her because of a deadly disease called aplastic anemia – a rare and dangerous condition in which the body stops producing new blood cells.

“For 14 years, my child had a normal life. We don’t have too much to call our own, but she went to school, she played with her siblings, she begged me to buy her just one more chocolate…she was like any other child her age. But one month ago, she was diagnosed with a deadly disease. Now, It’s killing her.”

If I could afford it, I would get her transplant done today

Ashwini now needs blood every alternate day. That’s how critical her condition is. She is extremely weak and in severe pain. She asks her father, Muttappa, when she can go back to school, when she can write her exam. It’s all she wants to do. But Muttappa knows that the next few months for his daughter are crucial.

“If I could afford it, I would’ve got her the bone marrow transplant today itself. But I’m a poor farmer. I have a family of 6 to look after. I borrowed 3 lakhs and spent it on her treatment till now…that’s all that I can ever afford. She needs the transplant soon, they said. But how will I get 15 lakhs?”

They wasted no time in starting her treatment, but it’s not enough

Muttappa feels his daughter is suffering more because of their poverty. Laxmibai and he earn Rs. 250 per day from the 2 acres of land that he has. Sometimes, he earns nothing. Hunger and distress are not new to Muttappa and Laxmibai, but they wanted to make sure their four children never suffer the same.

“But I feel like I’m failing. We were so proud that all our children were going to school, that we were giving them a chance at a better life. But everything changed. One month ago when she came back home from school with severe pain in her hands and legs, and fever, we immediately took her to the doctor. We didn’t waste any time. We even took her to Bangalore for treatment. But even then, she’s suffering so much!"

The only thing that is keeping Ashwini alive now is the blood transfusions. But soon, that won’t be enough. A bone marrow transplant as soon as possible is her only chance, but her poor parents can’t afford it.


Ashwini dreams of going to college one day, of getting a job, supporting her parents. But for now, all she wants is her old life back. A life without needles and pain. A life where her body isn’t giving up on her with every passing second. Ashwini can have that chance with your support.