"At just 18, I've become the father, mother, and sole breadwinner of our house"

After we lost our father. I still remember the silence in our house that day. My mother wept quietly, trying to stay strong. My younger siblings clung to her. And I—I wiped my tears, held their hands, and told myself I had to step up. Since then, I’ve become many things: a teacher, a caretaker, a nurse, and now, the only earning member of our family. At just 18, I am struggling to save my little brother, older sister, and mother.


“My brother—just 16—and an aspiring wrestler was our light in this darkness. But now..."

On March 20th this year, he woke up vomiting and crying out in pain. We rushed him to the hospital. Doctors said he had a severe intestinal blockage—his intestines had ruptured. He was taken into emergency surgery immediately. They inserted a stoma bag in his stomach to keep him alive.


Since that day, he hasn’t been able to eat properly. He can’t walk. He can’t sit up. He barely speaks. The boy who once wrestled for hours on the field now lies in bed, reduced to skin and bones. He was our joy—our fighter.

He used to say, “Didi, one day I’ll lift you all out of this struggle.”

Now he can’t even lift his head.


“I try to stay strong. Because if I fall, this family will collapse.”  

My mother has a tumour. Her surgery keeps getting postponed—because we simply don’t have the money. Some days she can't even stand straight, but she still tries to cook and care for us. She cries in secret—she thinks I don’t notice, but I do.

My older sister has also fallen sick. The doctors say it’s a serious infection and needs continuous medication. She’s in pain every day, but never complains. My brother is bedridden. And I… I am the only one left holding it all together.


“We mortgaged our house to save him. Now we have nothing left.”

Getting the first surgery done was nearly impossible. My mother begged everyone she knew. We borrowed from relatives, took loans, and even mortgaged the only piece of land we had. But now, my brother needs a second surgery—and there’s no money left. No one is answering our calls anymore.
And so I earn whatever I can.


Some days, there’s nothing to eat. But I keep going.


“We’re all breaking in different ways. But I cannot let my brother die.”

My brother worked hard, even as a child. He went to school, helped with farm work, trained in wrestling, and brought home medals—and prize money. He was always thinking about us. He used to smile and say,

“Amma, Didi, just wait—one day I’ll take all your worries away.”

Now his dreams are trapped in a body that can barely move. He needs another operation to survive. But we’re too poor to afford it.


“I’ve carried this family since I was a child. But this…I cannot do alone.”

Please help us. Help me save my brother—the one person who gave our family hope. My mother needs care. My sister is sick. And I’m trying my best, but we’re falling apart. Your support is the only thing that can bring my brother back from the edge.

We have no strength left. But we still have hope.

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EIN 20-5139364