Share
“Swara shares a close bond with her older sister - they’re like two peas in a pod. But today, the situation is such that they have had to be separated from each other, and it kills me to lie to my daughter about her little sister's illness. My Swara is suffering from a dangerous disease… and despite there being a cure, it is out of our reach. Our poverty is what’s holding us back from saving her. What will I do if I lose my child? I won’t be able to live with myself…” - Karuna, mother
Her stomach swelled up and her eyes turned yellow, indicating trouble
In June, earlier this year, Swara’s parents were surprised to notice that their daughter’s stomach looks bigger than usual. Feeling unsettled, they consulted a local doctor right away, and she was prescribed medicine. Days later, seeing that she had no relief and her swelling of her stomach hadn’t gone down, they took her to a bigger hospital where she was admitted and underwent tests.“All her tests came back normal. Yet her stomach was still bloated, and we didn’t know what was causing it. Then the doctor said he suspected something far more serious when he saw that her eyes had turned yellow-ish, and suggested that she get a KF ring test. The doctor’s words made me extremely anxious because I couldn’t imagine my sweet girl suffering from something dangerous. But, when we received the test reports and the doctor explained that there was a copper overload in her body, I felt my blood run cold.” - Renjit, father
A rare disease is causing copper build-up in her organs
The 7-year-old was diagnosed with Wilson’s disease, a genetic disorder that causes excess copper to accumulate at life-threatening levels, primarily in the liver, brain, along with other vital organs in the body. The doctors encouraged Swara’s parents to have her undergo a liver transplant as soon as possible. Her parents, although eager to get her treatment started, were completely disheartened to see that it came at an exorbitant cost of INR 12 lakh, which they can never afford.“Swara is a bright child and always has a smile on her face. She enjoyed studying and loved to draw and dance. Now, she begs us to let her go back to school. But how can we? She doesn’t understand that her condition is so serious. She heard the doctor say that she will recover with treatment, and now she keeps asking us when her operation is scheduled for. How do I tell her that her papa is failing to save her because he has no money?” - Renjit
Having run out of all options, they need your help to save their daughter
Although life had given them their fair share of struggles, Renjit and Karuna had built a warm home for their family and done their utmost to ensure that their children had everything they needed. Renjit’s family depends on his income of INR 10,000 that he makes as a cab driver. Although not much, he's been able to provide them a stable life and put his two girls through school. But right now, as his youngest daughter is fighting a deadly condition, he feels helpless.“I have done all I could - I sold my land and put all my money into her treatment. Now, I have nothing left. I did not recieve any support from my relatives either. We are in this fight all on our own and I just- I am at a dead end now. I don’t know what to do, or where to go. All I want to do is save my daughter. Please, please help me.” - Renjit
