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We are so grateful for your support, which has helped us raise funds to assist Seetaram's family with food and housing for their stay in Mysore.
Let's keep it going and help their mom Rani with her medical emergency.
Soon after moving to their house, Rani experienced severe stomach pain. She went to the hospital but they were unable to help her (government hospital facilities are a challenge for many reasons). We transferred her to a quality medical facility, where the doctors diagnosed leukemia (CML) -- devastating news, especially after all that has happened to the family.
Poondev, Rani's husband, was told of the news by the doctor, and it was almost too much for him to bear. First, his son. Then, his mother in Bihar died. Now his wife.
Rani was in ICU for three days, and is now back in the ward. She's a little better but still be monitored carefully. She eats fruits, but not much else.
The initial estimation for the hospital stay is $1,500 / 90,000 rupees. Please consider making a donation to cover this additional expense.
Poondev's three boys are at our children's home, including Seetaram. They are getting along well with the other kids, and the two younger ones will be admitted to school later this week. They miss mom a lot, and are happy when we make chicken or egg because it reminds them of mom's cooking!Seetaram and the boys playing cricket
Please consider making a donation to help us continue to help Seetaram and his family.
Thanks so much for your care and concern. No family should be forced to live on the streets.
Akhanda Seva for International Shanti (Operation Shanti) is a section 25 not-for-profit company in India with 80G and 12A tax exemption. Your donation is tax exempt to the extent allowed by Indian income tax laws.The start of Seetaram's story:
Seetaram, a teenager from Bihar who came to work in Mysore with his father, is the victim of a mobile phone that exploded in his face in February, severely injuring his mouth and jaw area.
Seetaram's parents -- manual laborers -- spent all of their money on his initial treatment at a private hospital. After they ran out of funds, the hospital discharged the boy and the family found themselves on the streets of Mysore.
The media got wind of the family's situation and the Mysore District Legal Services Authority stepped in to provide legal assistance to the family, and got Seetaram admitted to the local government hospital in June to continue his treatment.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/482573/legal-services-authority-rescue-mobile.html
However, the family has no money for daily meals and had no place to stay, so they (father, mother, and two little brothers) have been sleeping on the hospital grounds. They sold just about everything they owned and beg for daily meals. Sometimes people help them with clothing, a few rupees, and other incidentals. But there are five mouths to feed, including Seetaram's two very cute little brothers.
The DCPU (District Child Protection Unit) of Mysore contacted us in mid-June for assistance, which is how we heard about the family's situation.
We've begun to provide the family with money for food and have found temporary housing for them. One of our street moms, Kumari, generously offered a small room in her small house in the slum to them.
Seetaram's dad plans to search for more permanent housing but now Rani, the boys' mother, has been admitted to the hospital with a mass in her pelvic area. The two little boys are now with us at our children's home, and dad spends his days at the hospital with Seetaram and his wife.
Seetaram has three more reconstructive surgeries to undergo in Mysore (covered by the government hospital), expected to take another 8 to 9 months. We will post updates on Rani's condition as we learn more.
(the initial incident is described here: https://in.news.yahoo.com/exploding-mobile-phone-rips-bihar-man-s-face-open-045032189.html)
On a good note, we took Poondev to see his younger sons (age 5 and 6), who are staying temporarily at our children's home (www.operation-shanti.org). The boys were overjoyed to see dad! "Papa papa!" And then they told him everything they've been up to -- mostly playing like fiends -- and the hot meals they get (!) because they experienced several mealtimes with no food to eat.
On July 30, Rani was discharged from the hospital, and we moved the entire family to our home, so they could be together -- for the first time since February they were not in a hospital! -- and we could better manage their situation.
On August 3, little Bharath and Lakshman, Sitaram's brothers, started school! They were really excited and looked very cute in their school uniforms.
Sitaram is well -- he is eating a lot so that he can gain weight for his next surgery at the end of September -- he won't be able to eat for a while after the surgery so is trying to eat a lot now. He has started tutoring at our home with our teachers.
Operation Shanti is known as Akhanda Seva for International Shanti in India, which is a charitable organization headquartered in Mysore that has been helping destitute women and children since 2005. We are registered as an NGO, and donations from Indian donors are exempt from income tax under the 80G exemption. In the U.S., Operation Shanti is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and donations by U.S. taxpayers are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
