I am Arunagiri Nathan, a 75-year-old retired Indian Navy veteran, honored with the Poorvi Star, Pashmi Star, and Sangram Medal for my service. I served the country for 21 years, including during the 1971 India-Pakistan war aboard the INS Vikrant. We faced immense challenges back then, working day and night to get our ship ready for battle. But we persevered, and I took great pride in contributing to our nation's victory, believing that my sacrifices had helped ensure a safer future for the generations to come.

Now, I find myself in the toughest battle of my life... not on a warship, but at my daughter Nalini's bedside in the hospital. Watching her fight for her life has been a different kind of struggle, one that has shaken me more than any challenge I ever faced in my years of service.

It all started with a blank stare

A month ago, my 16-year-old granddaughter saw something no child should have to witness. Her mother's eyes were unfocused, and she wasn’t responding to anything she said. She panicked and called to her neighbors for help. By the time they arrived, Nalini was having a violent seizure. They rushed her to the hospital immediately. We didn’t learn about what had happened until the following day, when the neighbors called us. My wife and I traveled from Trichy to Bangalore as fast as we could. But by then, Nalini’s condition had worsened in a terrifying way—fits, frothing at the mouth, and even losses of consciousness.

The doctors informed us that she had suffered a severe brain hemorrhage and required emergency surgery to remove a clot and alleviate the pressure. The days that followed were a blur of procedures, ventilators, and uncertainty. She’s still unable to respond or recognize us clearly. She cannot hear, nor can she speak, nor can she eat. Her food is being fed through a tube. Each night, I stay awake beside her, hoping for some sign of improvement, but the road to recovery is long and daunting.

Nalini’s life has never been easy

She was married in 2007, but by the next year, she was divorced, left to raise her newborn daughter alone. She faced immense financial and emotional struggles, but she never gave up. She balanced a demanding career at a big multinational company, all while raising her child, doing her best to give her daughter a life filled with opportunities.
She embodied strength through every hardship, mirroring the same determination I once had while serving the nation, and her strength became the foundation upon which our family rested. But now, seeing her like this, it feels like that very foundation is crumbling.

You Stepped In And Helped This Family At The Right Time

My wife and I are both very old, and if something happens to Nalini, our granddaughter will have only us to rely on... we don't have any other family. Given our age, we were deeply concerned about our ability to provide for her in the long term. I had already sold two plots and exhausted my savings to cover the costs.

Despite all his efforts, he knew he couldn't do this alone. Your support gave them the chance they desperately needed. You showed them the power of giving. Nalini and her family are immensely grateful for the love you have shown them.

Accidents and trauma can happen anytime and they come without warning. The stark truth is that not everyone is as lucky as Nalini - not everyone’s family is able to arrange enough funds in time for the extensive treatment that follows trauma cases. Patients linger in unbearable pain and suffering for many years, unable to get the medical care they deserve to recuperate properly. Trauma patients often hang between life and death, in a vegetative state, as a result.

This is where you can step in and contribute to Milaap’s Accident Trauma Fund, and be a beacon of light for those whose lives were turned upside-down.

Click here to contribute