I am Joraram, father to 13 year-old Kishor from Jodhpur. My son is suffering from a condition of heart known as Tetralogy of Fallot. It is a defect which causes oxygen-poor blood to flow out of the heart and into the rest of the body. Because of this, my son has shortness of breath and often times experience blue-tinge over his skin. On most days, he finds it difficult to even walk.
While my son has been a victim to the disorder since birth, we only found about it in February when a medical group came for check-up in his school. He is in class 8 and very much involved in extracurricular activities. This is why his teachers pay more attention to him, and as soon as the medical group raised uncertainty over well-being of his heart, we were immediately advised to go to a camp set up in Jodhpur for complete check up.
"For four months, I was simply waiting for doctor's appointment"
I took my son to the camp in Jodhpur. The doctors there were from reputed hospitals in Delhi. I finally felt a glimmer of hope washed over me when a reputed doctor decided to take up my son's case. I thought that finally my son was in safe hands. We decided to get our son operated under a government scheme which is free of cost. The doctor asked me to come in March.
When things were looking up, I had a nagging suspicion that it won't last long. And as I went there in March, that suspicion became a reality. As my son had his school exams, the doctor pushed the date to April and when we returned in April, Kishor's name didn't appear under the scheme. I spent entire May calling the concerned hospital, asking them when or where I can find the doctor but I never got any coherent response from their end.
Finally in June, I managed to find doctor's information from his personal website and connected with him. That is when he said I have to bring my son to a private hospital in Delhi for surgery, as the scheme is only limited to Rajasthan. So I decided to bring my son to Delhi, but to what end?
"Family of humble means"
I have a beauty shop in small village of Jodhpur. I make an earning of Rs.5000 per month. My wife is a home-maker. Other than Kishor, I have two other kids. With a measly sum of Rs.5000 it becomes extremely difficult to manage family of five. The estimated cost of the surgery is 3.5 lakhs. How can a poor shopkeeper like me manage that much money?