Moutushi used to ask me hundreds of questions about our cattle. She loved the cows. They were her best friends. 'When will the calves grow big? Can I name her Laxmi? What should I name the new calf? Will you teach me to milk them?'  In the last 2 months, she has hardly opened her mouth - whenever she does, it is to cry out of pain. Even if you play her favourite song in the mobile phone, she is too weak to respond - Litan, father.
 
For over 2 months now, Litan and Soma have been running from one hospital to another in hope of getting their daughter cured of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, one of the most common types of childhood cancers.

‘Baba, I miss my home, when will we go back?’

My 3-year-old daughter has blood cancer. Her body doesn’t produce enough blood cells because of her condition. She needs chemotherapy for at least the next 6 months. She also needs blood and platelet transfusion. But she doesn’t want to stay in the hospital any longer. She misses the greenery, the hills and the open space at our home in Simna, Tripura. The cancer ward, kids with shaved heads, wearing masks and doctors with injections scare her.  

Besides my mud hut, there is nothing else that I can call my own

Neither Soma nor I had the chance to go to school. Our families couldn’t afford that. I became a taxi driver at a very young age. But when Moutushi was born, we both promised ourselves to give her the best. I had started working extra hours, only to save something  for her school admission. Now all that is gone - sending her to school seems like a distant dream now. She has severe infection in her blood and is fighting deadly cancer.
 
Litan had 14 cows at his place, he sold all of them for money. Not only that, Soma sold off her gold jewellary and both of them have gone to every house in their village, seeking help. They have already spent 6.5 lakhs but it’s not enough. 

We eat only once a day and share one plate of food

We stay at a rented place in Chennai, near the hospital - everyday I need to pay Rs 700 for that. Then there are the medicines, injections - they cost me about Rs 5000 a month. The only thing where I can spend less is on our food. We eat only once a day and share one plate - I can’t afford more than that. 


 
To continue Moutushi’s treatment, Litan would need around 10 lakhs but with no job and no one to help him in this new city, he fears he won’t be able to afford the treatment. He is counting on your help to save his daughter’s life.

 Moutushi, once a happy and cheerful girl is now in constant pain because of cancer. She is longing to go back to her home but without treatment she might never be able to go. Her father is desperately waiting for your help to save her.