“He can’t sit or walk straight like all of us. His spine is slowly bending. He can’t keep his hands straight, and even changing his clothes is extremely painful. Every time I lift his hand slightly to remove his t-shirt, he screams because of the unbearable pain. Every single minute is a struggle for my baby. He’s 3, but the only word he says is amma. Sometimes when I try talking to him, he stares at me blankly. As he gets older, this is only going to get worse. He won’t survive for long without treatment, and he needs it before he turns 4 in September.” - Mangalagowri, Keerthan's mother

When Mangalagowri held little Keerthan in her arms for the first time, she thanked her stars for blessing her with a healthy baby. But 3-year-old Keerthan isn’t like other children his age. The rare, severe disease he’s suffering from has not only stunted his physical and mental growth but is also making his condition worse with time. If Keerthan doesn’t get the life-saving bone marrow transplant before he turns 4, he won’t survive this disease.

Keerthan’s disease is so rare and complicated that many hospitals turned them away

Keerthan has Mucopolysaccharidosis, a condition which distorts the body, stunts physical growth and development, limits joint movement and even affects intellectual development. This is extremely rare and dangerous, shortening the lifespan of the child considerably. The news of his diagnosis came as a complete shock to Mangalagowri and Nanjappa, who all along thought their child was ‘normal’.

“We didn’t notice anything different with him. For almost two years, he was like every other baby. He was active, cheerful and responded to everything we said. But, one day, he became very sick. When we took him to the doctor, we were told that his forehead was unusually swollen, and his physical development was abnormal. We then took him to many hospitals. Most of them had never come across a condition like this and some told us there was nothing they could do. We had almost given up until we came to Bangalore. Now there's hope, but we have no money.”

His father can’t afford to save him on a mechanic’s income, but Keerthan is running out of time

Keerthan turns 4 in September. Instead of preparing for a celebration, his parents are struggling to find a way to save their only child. They have spent nearly 8 lakhs on his treatment so far by taking loans, but now they see no way out of this misery. Keerthan needs 40 lakhs to have the transplant that will save his life. Nanjappa has a small vehicle repair shop in their hometown Kunigal, and his meagre income isn’t enough to get Keerthan treated.

“I’ve heard stories of children being treated from this condition with a bone marrow transplant. I hear that they’re doing well, and it gives me hope. This is his only chance to survive, but the treatment is beyond what we will ever be able to afford. We’re running out of time to arrange for the money now. He cries so much and sometimes there’s nothing I can do to comfort him. He can’t even talk to express himself. His pain will only end with treatment.”

How You Can Help

Keerthan just has a few weeks to get a bone marrow transplant that will save his life. His rare, severe disease is only making him weaker by the day, and there’s nothing his parents can do anymore to help him. After spending lakhs on his treatment so far, they’re struggling to find a way to afford 40 lakhs. Keerthan will only survive with a bone marrow transplant and he desperately needs your help.

Your support will save Keerthan’s life.