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"My baby is suffering and we feel helpless with each passing day. I will work till my last breath, if it means that my daughter gets to live another day. Yet, sometimes my hard work isn't enough. We want to do everything in our power to not let history repeat itself, but with every visit to the hospital, I feel so powerless against our poverty. Is this our punishment for being poor?" - Jagdish, father.
Born during a time when the pandemic was causing tragedies and losses across the world, a baby girl came as a ray of hope in the world of Laxmi and Jagdish. Yet, today, this 13-month-old baby is suffering from chronic liver failure, which has led to recurrent Jaundice that threatens her life with every passing day.
Her yellowing eyes were a warning sign of her failing liver
After their daughter's birth a year ago, they noticed an unusual yellowing of the infant's eyes that immediately warned them of the danger. They immediately took their then 6-day-old daughter to a private hospital in the city, where she was diagnosed with chronic liver failure and jaundice, and later admitted there for over a month.The little one was born with a dysfunctional liver that has been causing the recurring condition of jaundice in her body. To help manage this condition, the baby has been going through phototherapy, a method through which the bilirubin levels in the blood are broken down until the jaundice subsides. The family incurs approximately INR 1,000 on a regular basis for their daughter’s current treatment. However, this is not a cure for her ailment.
"I have seen my baby poked and prodded with all kinds of tubes and injections, going through all these scans and I fear that she will never experience a childhood like others her age. Above all, I fear constantly that I might never get to see her grow." - Laxmi, mother.
These parents have previously lost a daughter to the same disease
Jagdish and Laxmi have already witnessed the loss of a daughter, their first child, to liver disease. At that time, the couple had been living in a small village in Uttar Pradesh, where medical facilities were severely limited. Due to this, neither the local hospital nor the parents could treat the problem, and the child passed away within 15 days after her birth."After the loss of our firstborn, my baby's long life is all I have ever prayed for. I have heard the last cries of our dying baby once, I wouldn't be able to bear it again." - Laxmi, mother.
He is ready to give his daughter a part of his liver, but it costs more than he can afford
The doctor has declared that a liver transplant is the only option that can save the baby's life. Jagdish has also been deemed as a suitable donor and is willing to go through the process, but it is their poor circumstances that leave them feeling desperate and helpless against time.Between the hospitalization and the surgery for the transplant, a cost of INR 15L will be incurred. This is not an amount that is possible for the father to bear on his own. It is a struggle enough to get by each day with the meager amount he makes.
He has stretched himself thin to give his daughter a fighting chance at survival
Jagdish is a daily wage earner, working as a rag picker who picks up stray plastic bottles from the streets. His income is between INR 300 to INR 400 a day at most. He is the breadwinner of the family as Laxmi stays home to take care of their ailing daughter.From the diagnosis, the scans as well as the regular check-ups at the hospital, the family is in debt, after spending INR 3L on the treatment. Jagdish has been working harder to pay them off just so their daughter has a fighting chance against the life-threatening disease.
"I have taken loans from my employer, working every day and night to make up for them. I feel defeated that it is not enough to secure a healthy life for my little one. There is nothing more important to me than to see my baby survive and thrive, to be cured, and to smile without a threat over her life." - Jagdish, father.
With your help, the liver transplant could become a viable treatment option for this 13-month-old. Time is running out for this family. Every donation can help them fight against it and secure the baby's well-being and life.
Identity of the child is protected in adherence to government guidelines. 
