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13-year-old Khizar had participated in a marathon, when out of nowhere, he blacked out in the middle of his lap and ended up bruising his knee.
"It seemed like a minor cut but it didn't stop bleeding for a long time and that felt very odd to me. I didn't want to take any chances so I got his blood tests done. Just when I was about to leave, the diagnostic lab called me and asked me to immediately admit Khizar to the hospital. His blood counts had gotten so low that he was on the verge of a cardiac arrest that day." - Shahnavaj, father
He lost so much blood that he was at risk of a cardiac arrest
That day, Shahnavaj's timely response helped save his son from a fatal heart attack. But next time, Khizar may not end up being so lucky. His reports revealed that he has been losing blood due to a rare condition called aplastic anemia. His body is attacking his own tissues and organs and till date, Khizar has had blood transfusions almost 40 times just to stay alive.
This disease never fails to remind him of its presence in his body
"After my transfusion, sometimes I forget I'm suffering, but this disease soon reminds me of its presence. When the counts drop, I start feeling restless and my body again loses the energy and willpower to do any activity. That is how I know it's time for another transfusion. Now, I can't even walk briskly because if my heart rate fluctuates, I can be at risk of a cardiac arrest. It pains me to see my running shoes gather dust now." - Khizar
He can't survive solely on transfusions now, needs an urgent transplant
Khizar cannot survive on blood transfusions alone for long. At times when his body rejects the external blood, it makes him feverish and takes days for him to recover from the infections. The only option left now is a stem cell transplant so that his bone marrow can again produce healthy blood cells. This is where Khizar's parents begin losing all their hopes of saving their son as this transplant would cost them INR 18 lakhs."I have 3 more kids and the doctors asked me to get them tested to find the best match for Khizar. We got all our kids here from the village and thanked Allah for showing us some way out to save our son. But the tests to match with a single child cost us Rs.15,000 and we don't have enough money to test our other kids. If we do that we won't have money left for his next transfusion. We are being mindful of every penny now as Khizar has sudden emergencies, and this helplessness is consuming all of us." - Mobina, mother
Shahnavaj travels from Bihar to Kolkata to work as a labourer quite often because work opportunities in his hometown have been grim post pandemic.
"I know that my labour work can never suffice for my son's treatment, so I have been frequenting my village to sell off my home. I'm ready to accept the buyer's terms even if it's a loss. Right now, my hands are tied and I am no longer in a position to negotiate. I just desperately need money to be able to continue my son's transfusions at least, to keep him alive. If I keep waiting to arrange money for his transplant, it will be an endless wait." - Shahnavaj, father
A bright and young boy, Khizar is the first person in his entire family to be able to read and write in english. His parents left no stone unturned to provide him with an education that could help him secure his future. But if he doesn't get this transplant soon, his future will be bleak.
