“It’s been 4 days and she hasn’t opened her eyes. I keep standing beside her, calling out her name but she hasn’t responded. Will she never open her eyes? Will she never talk to me again? I keep asking myself these questions. The doctors have said that she needs to be in the hospital for longer but where will I get the money from?” - Manoj, father of 7-year-old Kritika.

10 days ago, Kritika became very sick. Manoj has been running from pillar to post since then to save his daughter. He is doing everything he can but it’s still not enough.

I wait outside the ICU and Nisha waits back at home - hoping that our worst fear doesn’t come true

Kritika is suffering from a condition that has brought down her blood count to levels so low that her kidneys are getting severely damaged. They are now shutting down, and she is on continuous dialysis.

 

“First it was vomiting and loose motions. Then came the fever. The local doctors had given up, they said it was something more serious. They said, if we delayed any further, my daughter would not make it! I knew I couldn’t waste even a minute then - we started for Jaipur immediately.”

Nisha, his wife, had to stay back at home in Haryana, as there was no one else to take care of her other children.

I look at her shut eyes and her smiling face comes to my mind - it all seems like a memory now

7-year-old Kritika was an obedient child - taking care of her younger brother, helping her mother with housework. She was a good student too - the little girl loved going to school. Always the first to wake up in her house, Kritika is under heavy sedation now. She is on ventilator support, and needs to be in the hospital for at least a few more weeks. 

 

“How did all of this happen so fast? I can’t help but cry when I see her lying down motionless in the bed. It’s been days since I have had a night's sleep - I keep worrying if I will be able to save my daughter.”

Manoj is a security guard in a private company in Haryana, he makes just about enough to support his family of 5.

He says, people like him live life on a daily basis - they don’t have any savings.

“What little I had, I have used up for Kritika’s treatment. I have borrowed too and have spent around 4 lakhs till now. But the doctors have told me that she would need to stay in the hospital for longer - I would need another 10 lakhs for that!”

Manoj knows he will never be able to arrange for so much money on his own. He needs your help to save Kritika. You are his only hope.