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“He says he feels like an old man struggling with aching joints. It frustrates him. He’s a teenager after all, and he wants to feel like one.”
A year ago, Krishna Vamsi got down with a high fever that didn’t subside with over the counter medicines. They took him to the doctor who said that Krishna needed the attention of a pediatric rheumatologist. He had to be taken to the hospital since he started developing other symptoms along with fever. His ankles and knees started swelling up and hurting. Then he couldn’t move his fingers and toes. The doctor diagnosed him with a form of arthritis, which if untreated will involve his spine and gradually incapacitate his movements altogether. He needs specialized medical attention for an extended period of 3-4 years, in order to recover from this crippling disorder.
He used to have mild joint pains in the past, but they didn't know it would turn out be this serious
Even before this episode of high fever and joint pains, Krishna has had episodes where he was unable to move after waking up in the morning. These spells would last anywhere between half an hour to an hour. He would be rendered motionless because his whole body would ache so badly that immobility felt easier. Gradually these episodes kept getting worse until it came to a point where even moving his fingers was extremely painful and impossible.
When Krishna’s arthritis got diagnosed, he was immediately put on medication and weekly injections to ease his condition. Despite this, his condition has not shown much improvement. Arthritis continues to be an arresting factor in his life, hindering his life in general since he had to cut back on all his activities owing to his condition. He even had to compromise on his school hours because he finds it hard to sit through the entire day. Although the school authorities have been generous enough to exempt him from school hours, as per his convenience, Krishna really misses the normalcy he used to enjoy before this.
“He’s irritable and doesn’t know what to do. Sometimes he tries to pretend he’s ok with his life, but I know he’s not.”
His medication makes him very sleepy and if he skips them, he’s in insufferable pain. For a 15-year-old active teenager, this is one of the worst forms of punishment life can inflict. For his mother, Nagalakshmi, watching him suffer this way is the worst nightmare come true. All she wants is for Krishna to recover and be up on his two feet again.
His family has seen their fair share of Tragedy and Krishna’s illness is more than what Nagalakshmi can handle
Krishna’s father passed away in 2012, of a cardiac stroke. Needless to say, this shock their family. All the sense of security they had while their father was alive was stripped away from them brutally. Since then Nagalakshmi has shouldered all the responsibilities of the family, herself. The family of three, including Krishna’s older brother Kaushik, have been through ups and downs together and just when they were stable and looking forward to their future, Krishna got diagnosed with arthritis.
Nagalakshmi holds a clerical job at a school and her income is barely enough to support the household and educational expenses of her sons. Krishna’s illness has thrown them off balance financially since they cannot afford this expensive treatment, that too for a prolonged period of time.
Krishna’s condition is deteriorating and he will succumb to his illness if he doesn't receive the necessary treatment. His mother’s financial condition shouldn’t be the reason for him to face that terrible fate. Let’s help him by contributing towards his treatment.
A year ago, Krishna Vamsi got down with a high fever that didn’t subside with over the counter medicines. They took him to the doctor who said that Krishna needed the attention of a pediatric rheumatologist. He had to be taken to the hospital since he started developing other symptoms along with fever. His ankles and knees started swelling up and hurting. Then he couldn’t move his fingers and toes. The doctor diagnosed him with a form of arthritis, which if untreated will involve his spine and gradually incapacitate his movements altogether. He needs specialized medical attention for an extended period of 3-4 years, in order to recover from this crippling disorder.
He used to have mild joint pains in the past, but they didn't know it would turn out be this serious
Even before this episode of high fever and joint pains, Krishna has had episodes where he was unable to move after waking up in the morning. These spells would last anywhere between half an hour to an hour. He would be rendered motionless because his whole body would ache so badly that immobility felt easier. Gradually these episodes kept getting worse until it came to a point where even moving his fingers was extremely painful and impossible.
When Krishna’s arthritis got diagnosed, he was immediately put on medication and weekly injections to ease his condition. Despite this, his condition has not shown much improvement. Arthritis continues to be an arresting factor in his life, hindering his life in general since he had to cut back on all his activities owing to his condition. He even had to compromise on his school hours because he finds it hard to sit through the entire day. Although the school authorities have been generous enough to exempt him from school hours, as per his convenience, Krishna really misses the normalcy he used to enjoy before this.
“He’s irritable and doesn’t know what to do. Sometimes he tries to pretend he’s ok with his life, but I know he’s not.”
His medication makes him very sleepy and if he skips them, he’s in insufferable pain. For a 15-year-old active teenager, this is one of the worst forms of punishment life can inflict. For his mother, Nagalakshmi, watching him suffer this way is the worst nightmare come true. All she wants is for Krishna to recover and be up on his two feet again.
His family has seen their fair share of Tragedy and Krishna’s illness is more than what Nagalakshmi can handle
Krishna’s father passed away in 2012, of a cardiac stroke. Needless to say, this shock their family. All the sense of security they had while their father was alive was stripped away from them brutally. Since then Nagalakshmi has shouldered all the responsibilities of the family, herself. The family of three, including Krishna’s older brother Kaushik, have been through ups and downs together and just when they were stable and looking forward to their future, Krishna got diagnosed with arthritis.
Nagalakshmi holds a clerical job at a school and her income is barely enough to support the household and educational expenses of her sons. Krishna’s illness has thrown them off balance financially since they cannot afford this expensive treatment, that too for a prolonged period of time.
Krishna’s condition is deteriorating and he will succumb to his illness if he doesn't receive the necessary treatment. His mother’s financial condition shouldn’t be the reason for him to face that terrible fate. Let’s help him by contributing towards his treatment.
