“Aarushi was only 4-months-old when we had to start her blood transfusions. It was so tough to take her for transfusions every month- she was so tiny that the nurse could hardly find her veins. She cried aloud for every prick of the needle, but I couldn't do anything to ease her pain. I used to stand beside her to calm her down, caressing her forehead. This way my daughter underwent months of painful transfusions. Now she is 2 and has gotten used to the pain. She puts out her hand every time the nurse approaches her in the hospital. She has learnt to tolerate the pain. It breaks my heart to think that without help there would be no end to her suffering"- Karuna, mother.

Monthly blood transfusions have become a routine affair for little Aarushi who can’t survive without them

One July morning, little Aarushi was born to her parents who had all this while wished for a baby girl. Her smile lit up the lives of Arun and Karuna and they decided to name her ‘Aarushi’ after the bright red light of the morning sun that lights up everyone's day. But the happy parents had no idea that their joy would be so short-lived. 2-year-old Aarushi was diagnosed with Thalassemia Major. It is an inherited blood disorder that results in less haemoglobin and fewer red blood cells in the body than normal.  Now the transfusions aren't enough for her and only a bone marrow transplant can save her.
 

“We can’t miss even one of Aarushi’s blood transfusions, or else she becomes very weak and can hardly get up from her bed. The transfusions cost well beyond our capacities but they are the only lifeline for my baby till we have the money required for her transplant.”  Karuna

Little Aarushi is completely unaware of her condition

Aarushi has no idea about her illness and how it might affect her adversely if she doesn’t get a bone marrow transplant. She just knows she has to go to the hospital for transfusions. The only time her family sees her smile is when she watches her favourite cartoons on the TV with her 13-year-old brother, Prajwal. It breaks their heart when she asks them if she is going to die soon. Karuna and her husband have no answer to her question.

 Aarushi when she was hale and hearty

“As she climbs up the stairs of the hospital, she takes two wobbly steps and then asks us to hold her above the ground and make her fly like an aeroplane. She knows for the next 4-6 hours, she has to stay still for the transfusions and she wants to make use of the time to play a little."-Karuna

Little Aarushi with her parents and older brother

Aarushi’s peon father spends sleepless nights worrying about his daughter who has just uttered her first words

Arun works as a peon in a private firm near his house and earns a meagre salary of Rs 10,000 per month. Most of his salary goes in paying for Aarushi’s treatment, for Prajwal’s school fees and the rent for a cramped room in Manikpur, Mumbai. The bone marrow transplant would cost him Rs 33 lakh and there is no way that Arun can arrange for this much money without any help. He has borrowed from friends and family and now there is no one for him to turn to.

How you can help

2-year-old Aarushi has a blood disorder and only a bone marrow transplant can give her a healthier and happier life. But her poor parents can’t afford it. Your kind contribution can help bring back the smile on Arun and Karuna’s face.