Fatima is only 13 but she has forgotten to smile. In fact, these days, she gets irritated when someone tries talking to her, asking her if she is fine. She is tired of lying down in bed and being treated for a disease that is slowly sucking the life out of her.  

Fatima is suffering from Aplastic Anemia. Her body doesn’t produce enough blood cells. She needs blood transfusions 4 days a week - without this Fatima can’t even get up from her bed; she can’t even walk.  

She started bleeding from her nose and mouth

Fatima was under medication for her blood disease and her parents were taking good care of her. But 6 months ago, she suddenly fainted one evening.

“We thought she wasn’t eating properly, maybe she was worried for her exams. But that was not the case. In 2 days, she became so weak that she wasn’t able to get up - she had a high fever and was pale as a white paper!” - Malandi, mother.  

Since then she has been on regular blood transfusions - a single day’s miss brings her closer to death. 

The only way Fatima can get better is with a bone marrow transplant. The regular transfusions are not helping Fatima any more. The doctors have told the parents that her only hope is a bone marrow transplant. Luckily for Fatima, her elder brother is a complete match. But will her auto-rickshaw driver father be able to afford the transplant is the question that is haunting the family… 

“We are from Bijapur. I used to drive an auto rickshaw there but for the last 6 months, everything has gone haywire. We are in Mumbai now, getting my daughter treated. I drive an auto here also but Fatima is so sick that I can hardly leave her side,” - Hasan, father.  

The money they had come with is nearly over. The family is struggling to afford Fatima’s regular medicines now - often they’re skipping meals. But there’s no way they can afford 16.5 lakhs for the transplant. They have already borrowed and spent over 3.5 lakhs, and they don't even know how to repay those loans back.

A small contribution from your side can bring back their lost happiness