Even the sight of doctors is enough to reduce 5-year-old Shashank to tears. He once again starts begging his mother to take him home. Even though he has missed school for the last six months, he wishes to go back. His mother once again begins explaining to him that he needs to stay here to get better once and for all.

“He is scared of the nurses because they usually bring injections. We play something on the phone to keep him occupied. But eventually he remembers something and start crying. He doesn’t like staying at the hospital and misses me, his entire family, a lot.” – Raju, Shashank’s father.

Cancer has stolen a year of school from Shashank’s childhood

Shashank has blood cancer and has been taking treatment for it in Hyderabad with his mother. His father, a daily-wage worker is in the village with Shashank’s siblings, trying to find work and raise money for treatment. His illness began last May, but it is unlikely that he will be able to go back to school any time soon.

“He fell sick with typhoid and when he didn’t get better after that, we were told he has cancer. In just a few months, he went from being an active, happy child to someone who is always afraid. On the phone, he just has to hear my voice to start crying for us. It is very hard...” – Raju

A new complication arose in Shashank’s treatment

After 6 months of treatment, nurses can no longer find veins in his hand for medicines. His blood-cell count has still not stabilized after chemotherapy. It is alarmingly high and he needs an immediate bone-marrow transplant to stop the cancer from spreading. His father, who has already borrowed heavily, is struggling to keep up the treatment.

“We had some land and some gold so we got some money. After that I took small amounts from people I know for the treatment. I don’t have any parents, or larger family to beg for help. They say my son has high-risk cancer. I need to arrange for a bone-marrow transplant, but when I heard of the cost, I fell on their feet and asked them to help me save my son.” – Raju

Nothing Raju does can raise the funds needed in time

Shashank’s older sister Anjana is a 100 percent match and will donate her stem cells for the transplant. With a daily income of Rs 450 when there is work, Raju has neither the means nor the support system to get his son life-saving treatment. Little Shashank is waiting to get better, beat his cancer and go home. But it is impossible without help.

 Save this child’s life by contributing to the fundraiser.