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A fate decided before birth:
Rahul, a Primary school Hindi teacher, and his wife Nishi were making arrangements to welcome their first baby like any ordinary couple would, but the joy hardly lasted them months. They lost their first daughter to a heart problem. It was due to a condition Nishi suffered from. The doctors declared that any child she bore was bound to be born with a heart blockage. Their fate was already determined. This scared the simple, ordinary couple no end.
The Miracle Baby:
Anantika, their second baby was also born with a heart condition.
"We found out about her poor heart-rate in the last ultrasound before delivery, and the doctor suggested I take Nishi to a bigger hospital to ensure a higher chance of Anantika's survival. I could not afford the charges of a bigger hospital and help on to my hopes for a miracle. After running around to many of the smaller hospitals, who were not willing to take the risk, we finally found one where they did agree to admit her."
This was how Anantika came into the world.
A surgery at birth:
Anantika could live, but only if a pacemaker was inserted to make up for her little heart's poor functioning. The pacemaker would cost Rahul 1 Lakh. This was beyond what he could afford. He started borrowing from every person he knew, and also took loans on interest from money-lenders, but this still amounted to only Rs. 60,000. Seeing his situation, the doctor agreed to perform the surgery for the amount.A pacemaker was thus installed, and Anantika was able to live the first 5 years of her life
"She loves me a lot, and trusts me. I know she loves to run and play, but I have told her she must not do so. She just agreed without even questioning me," Rahul expresses.
While her school now knows and exempts her from sports, she has had dangerous incidents in the past, where she lost consciousness thrice in a single day because her heart was unable to keep up while she played a game with friends.
Why she needs your help now:
Anantika is now 6-years old. The primary Pacemaker installed is unable to support her efficiently now. A new, effective one must be installed at the earliest to keep the little one alive. This would cost around Rs. 2 Lakh"I have hardly finished repaying my previous debts. Now, there is nobody I can even borrow from. She does not even know that she has such a serious problem. She does ask when we visit the doctors frequently, but I tell her it's just a check-up, and she just believes that nothing can happen to her when I am with her," Rahul says.
The couple has done everything they can to save the little one. Now, they are depending on any help from you to save their daughter.
