As a baby, Girish used to fall sick very frequently. His parents, both daily wage workers would rush him to a nearby doctor, who would prescribe some medicines. However, his condition only worsened. It was an episode like this when the fever lasted over 3 months that they realized it could mean more.

“I will never forget that evening, the overnight bus to Bangalore, and the diagnosis that came after. My little son was suffering from a disease worse than cancer. He needed to be given blood constantly so that I could keep him alive. This meant many more trips to the big city, many more days of missing work, maybe many days of my family going hungry.”

Girish was diagnosed with Thalassemia Major, a blood disorder that requires regular blood transfusion. The only way out was chemotherapy. Girish’s mother thinks it’s the aftereffects of dengue. She is not aware of the real diagnosis or the real danger. She will not even be able to bear the thought of it.