“At 3 am, I woke up to my daughter’s terrified voice. I ran to her room and saw her on the bed, unable to move her hands or legs. She was so scared. All she wanted to do was hold my hand, but she couldn’t. All day, I carried her from one hospital to another. We took her to 6 different hospitals, but no one could tell us what was wrong with our daughter. Finally, when we did find out, her condition had become extremely critical. She struggled to breathe and was immediately taken to the PICU. It’s been two months since, and my daughter Margreth is still on the ventilator, fighting for her life.”  - Wilfred, father

Wilfred and Jennifer haven’t left the hospital in two months. Every hour, they go to the PICU to talk to their 13-year-old daughter who can’t move or breathe on her own anymore. They try to give her the courage to make it through one more painful day, all the while worrying that they will lose her if they can’t continue treatment. Margreth needs to the stay in the PICU for at least a month to survive.  

In just one day, she went from being an active and healthy girl, to be being completely paralyzed

 On May 24, Margreth’s day ended just like any other. After having dinner with her family, she fell asleep while listening to one of her grandmother’s many stories. When she woke up the next morning, she couldn’t move. This 13-year-old has Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare and dangerous disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves. This spreads quickly and paralyses the whole body.

“She loves to dance and sing. At home, she and her sister would make up the steps to their favourite songs and spend their days laughing and playing together. To see our once happy and playful child now suffering so much is heartbreaking. She can barely cry out in pain and struggles to speak. My wife is devastated. She can’t help but break down every time she sees her. All our daughter wants to do is go back to school like all her friends, but without treatment, she might not make it."

Only urgent treatment can save her, but Wilfred is struggling to save her on an artist’s income

Wilfred and Jennifer have spent nearly 10 lakhs on their daughter’s treatment so far. All the money they had saved for their daughters’ education and their future is now gone. They have borrowed from everyone they know to somehow try and continue her treatment, but they can’t go on any longer. She needs 5 lakhs to stay in the PICU and start recovering again, but Wilfred is helpless.

“I work as an artist and illustrate for hoardings and posters, but work is never regular. On the days when it rains, I have no work at all. On other days, I make just enough to keep my family afloat. I haven’t gone for work ever since she has been admitted to the hospital. I’ve taken so many loans. I don’t know how I’m going to continue her treatment or whom to turn to for help."

How You Can Help

Margreth spends her days in the PICU remembering the day before she fell sick. Wilfred had taken her to get her new books for school, and they spent the entire day together. All she wants to do is go back to the childhood and life she once knew. With timely treatment, she can make it. Unfortunately, Wilfred and Jennifer can't afford to continue her treatment any longer. They are desperately looking for help to save their daughter.

Your support will save this 13-year-old's life.