“We knew he wasn’t like other kids when he was born. But we thought that if we just loved him enough, things would be fine, that we could get through this. So what if he's different? He was still beautiful to us. But... we never expected it to affect his health. We did't know it could end up killing him..."                                                                                                                                                 – Shahrukh, father

Little Samad was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate. A cleft lip, one of the most common birth-defects in the world, is a separation in the upper lip of the baby, extending up to the nose. A cleft palate, which is slightly rarer, is an opening in the roof of the mouth itself, a result of improper development in the mother's womb.

“Because of that, my son couldn’t eat properly. The milk or the food would go directly into the lung through the cut in his mouth. We have been extremely careful, but somehow he still kept getting some infections that turned into pneumonia. Why does my son have to suffer like this?” - Sunaiya, mother

Ever since Samad was born, he had pneumonia very frequently but it never stayed for long. This time, Samad’s pneumonia is life-threatening and he needs ICU care along with surgery to fix his birth defect. Without the ICU stay he won't make it at all, and without the surgery, even if he does make it, it's just a matter of time before he gets another infection.

I am failing to save my son

“I stitch clothes for a living and I never felt or thought low of my work. But today, when I look at my son crying and suffering in pain, I just wish I was more than just a tailor...  I am failing to save my son... I don’t want to lose him.”

Shahrukh works at a tailoring shop. He has already used up all his life savings to bring Samad back home but it is not enough.

You are their only hope. Your generous contributions can save little Samad’s life.