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“She falls down every so often because of the weight of her huge head. It has ganda (dirty) water inside it. She loses balance when she tries to walk a few steps on her own – we have told her many times not to do it, but she tells us that she too wants to feel normal. She too wants to feel like any other person sometimes.” – Rahul Kumar, father
Rahul Kumar and Roopa’s daughter is unlike any other 13-year-old you may have come across. The reason is sadly obvious: she has a humongous head that is too big for her frail, bony shoulders to carry. She has a condition called hydrocephalus, in which fluid accumulates in the brain, enlarging the head and sometimes causing brain damage.
‘She cannot do anything…not even rest’
This teen has had a large head ever since she was a baby. The size of her head kept on increasing with every passing year, much to her parents’ dismay. She cannot do anything by herself – she cannot feed and clothe herself; she cannot walk without support and worse, she cannot even rest in a comfortable position because of the shape of her head.
“We did try sending her to school, but she could only go until she was in class 3 or so. The reason being teachers had to devote all their time and energy to her, because she was always in need of support. Now, she does not go to school. She reads her brother’s books and chats with the neighbourhood kids about their experiences at school. She yearns to study and become something…earn a name for herself, but it does not look like she will be able to do anything.” – Roopa, mother
‘I earn only INR 8,000 – how do I manage the household and also save up for surgery with this?’
Roopa and Rahul Kumar tried their best to treat their daughter, despite their poor financial background. They got her medicines after multiple doctors’ visits, which did not really help her. They kept praying for it to go away on its own, owing to their lack of education, but the disease has made life a living hell for their child now. She needs urgent surgery – but they have no one to turn to for help now and are begging for your help to save her before her condition worsens.
“I earn INR 8 – 10,000 as a labourer. How can I manage everything on this small amount? We have a one-room house with no bathroom. We get by on the bare minimum. In this scenario, we don’t have the lakhs required to get our daughter the surgery she needs so urgently. Please help us. Please.” - Rahul Kumar, tearfully
This 13-year-old can live a normal, suffering-free existence with your kind help. Click here to contribute.
Identity of the child is protected in adherence to government guidelines.
