“When Azwa was just 3 days old, I got to know that her parents didn’t want her. She was the third girl child of her parents who thought of her as nothing more than a burden. Although I had a happy family - a loving husband and 2 boys - I wanted to save this baby. She started suffering just when she was just 7 days and has been fighting death every day since then. I am determined to save her at any cost,” Firdous, 7-month-old Azwa’s mother.

For the past 7 months, Azwa's fevers have hardly gone down below 104 degrees

Soon after Azwa was born, Firdous could feel a vibrating sound whenever she touched her daughter’s back. Within just 7 days, the little girl was running a high fever. After being on constant medication for 3 days, Firdous was finally relieved when Azwa started getting better. But it was just the beginning of the little girl’s sufferings. After 15 days, she developed mouth ulcers and stopped feeding. Since then, the little girl hasn’t slept properly even for a single night.

“For the past 7 months, my daughter’s fevers have hardly gone down below 104 degrees. All we have done is move her from one hospital to the other. The scariest part is that her pneumonia has kept coming back frequently. She has been on oxygen support and in ICU care for months. I am scared that I will lose her."

The parents are scared that Azwa’s fatal disease won’t let them take her home alive

Baby Azwa is suffering from chronic granulomatous disease, an immunodeficiency disease which has made her dangerously prone to infections. This is the reason she has been getting recurring pneumonia, She needs prolonged ICU care to survive. There’s a chance that she might even need a bone marrow transplant later, based on recovery. Without continued treatment, she might not even be able to complete eight months of age.

“When my husband, Touhir and I decided to adopt Azwa, my 17-year-old son, Ayeman and 10-year-old son, Roman were the most excited. They love her to bits. They say they will manage without me and ask me to take care of their baby sister. They tell me not to come back unless their sister is fine. Sometimes, I am scared that might never happen and I would have to go back without Azwa.”

Despite not being her biological parents, they didn't hesitate to spend everything to save her

With his minimum income, initially, Firdous and Touhir were skeptical to adopt baby Azwa. But they realized that their humanity lies way above their poverty. Touhir knew he had to work harder with a baby coming in. But he wasn’t prepared for the staggering medical bills. The couple has not only spent everything they had but also borrowed a huge sum of money from relatives. Touhir works as a carpenter in Bangalore and manages to earn almost Rs 10,000 on the months he gets work. On the other months, he has to manage with whatever he can save. He has already borrowed Rs 2.5 lakhs and needs another Rs 2 lakhs to get his daughter treated. With no work in hand and no savings left, he is unable to find a way to save baby Azwa now.

How you can help

6-month-old Baby Azwa is suffering from an immunodeficiency disease which is causing recurring infections and pneumonia. Her adoptive parents are struggling to give her a new life now. With your support, they will be able to take their little angel back home alive.