Ritesh just sat down after having lunch and was watching television with his family, when he suddenly got up and ran towards the sink. He vomited everything he ate, not once but several times within the next few hours. His condition kept getting worse and he was immediately taken to the hospital.

“I thought he had some severe food poisoning and that he would be okay but...but my child got diagnosed with cancer! Just a few hours ago we were laughing and now my child has a deadly disease? I just couldn’t understand how was this possible.” - Anjinappa, father

He has stopped eating now

Ritesh was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, a type of cancer where the tumour grows rapidly. This disease results in impaired immunity and is fatal if left untreated. Ritesh needs continuous chemotherapy with supportive care to beat his cancer.

“He has stopped eating completely since two days. He isn’t able to take even a morsel of food now and says it feels like he would vomit. He is fed through tubes now. He was such an active child, playing with his little sister and helping us when we got home from work. Look at him now, this disease has made him so weak, it is killing him from inside.”- Shantamma, mother

They watch him suffer helplessly, unable to afford the cure

Shantamma and Anjinappa are not allowed much in Ritesh’s room. He is highly susceptible to infections that can even turn out to be life-threatening. In the little time that they spend with him in a day, they sit with him and try to cheer him up but the little child doesn’t even have the energy to get up from bed on some days, let alone speak to his parents.

“All he does is put his head on my lap or hug me, he doesn’t talk much or even respond to what we say. Watching him become lifeless is so painful that I can’t express it. I don’t want to lose my son but I feel so helpless, unable to save him.   ”- Shantamma

The income we get is just enough to put food on the table

“My wife and I sweep roads for a living, we work at the municipal corporation. With the income we get, there is nothing left to save by the end of the month. Whatever money we get goes into paying bills and putting food on the table. I will never be able to save my child like this. Where will I get 5 lakh rupees from? Without the treatment, cancer will kill my son and I will never be able to forgive myself.” - Anjinappa, father

Ritesh needs your help to survive. You are their only hope. With your generous contributions, Ritesh can beat cancer and live a normal life. Click here to contribute.