“I know it is stupid to expect a miracle at 18, but that’s all I can do. I try, every half an hour to go up to her and call her by her name. When she still does not respond, it breaks me, but I keep trying. I know she will open her eyes and smile at me. I know she will call me ‘Dada’ again,” Shraboni’s brother Amin feels heart-broken to see his 10-year-old sister battle between life and death every living moment.

Shraboni’s father is a farmer. He works on the fields on wages. Her brother Amin helps him add a few hundreds more to the family income. The occupation being seasonal, their income is irregular and unreliable. Despite these limitations, the family stayed happy in the little they had.

At 10, Shraboni is a bright, cheerful 5th grader. Curious and delightful, she loved going to school and enjoyed singing. In fact, her music teacher teaches her free of cost owing to her beautiful voice. Amin stopped studying after his 10th standard so that little Shraboni could complete her education.

The family has already spent over Rs.4 Lakh on initial diagnosis and treatment. They had no money left for treating the big ailment. When they came to Bangalore, they only had the money that they had either borrowed on high rates of interest, or quite literally begged for. Now, they can neither pay for her treatment nor take her back home.