One evening in December last year, Mubarak was returning home after Madrassa classes as usual when he felt dizzy. He was losing balance and worst of all, he felt like he was being suffocated. He began vomiting and lost his consciousness. Neighbors alerted the family who rushed him to a hospital in Guwahati, Assam. His mother, and paternal uncle were shocked to find out that Mubarak’s kidneys were completely damaged.  

Previously diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, Mubarak was on frequent dialysis

“He was already undergoing dialysis for chronic kidney disease, but we never thought that it could worsen to this extent. We were quite shocked to learn that kidney issues can cause respiratory problems. We had to then rush him to a good hospital Chennai, where he spent over two months in the ICU – unable to breathe on his own due to severe fluid accumulation in his chest. His whole face was covered in tubes,” says uncle Jahangir.

Now at a local hospital back home, Mubarak is waiting to undergo a kidney transplant – the only way that he can escape the deadly disease. The earlier he gets the transplant, the better chance he has of recovering. Unfortunately, the family does not have enough money.

‘He now needs dialysis every alternate day now’

Mubarak’s kidney disease was diagnosed only 3 years ago – till then his uneducated parents and relatives did not have any reason to believe that he had any health problems. Even after he was diagnosed, he only had to undergo dialysis once in two weeks or so. Mubarak went about life as usual – focusing on religious studies at his Madrassa, and praying 5 times a day.

“He is very pious. He never liked playing or watching cartoons like other kids of his age. Now, looking back, there were some instances which we think were clues. For example, when he was just 2 years old, he had urine incontinence – he couldn’t control the urge to pee. He also used to suffer from infections at that age. Every day now, he needs dialysis for about 4-5 hours,”  says Jahangir.

Without any support from his brother, Jahangir is struggling to save his nephew all by himself

Mubarak’s father has never been responsible for his family – it was always up to his brother, Jahangir, to look after them and make sure that they are fed and clothed properly. Even when Mubarak fell sick, his father chose to ignore the problem, leaving Jahangir to take care of the treatment. He has already spent over Rs 2 lakhs to keep him alive for so long.

“I had to borrow a lot of money and bring him to Chennai from Guwahati by flight as he was very sick. He could have lost his life if we had chosen the train or bus as we normally would,”- Jahangir

This child can go back to school with your help

After having studied all these years in a Madrassa, Mubarak was gearing up to join a private school near his house when his kidneys started failing. He needs a kidney transplant at the earliest to survive. His mother is a matched donor, and all they lack is funds.

Your kind contribution can ensure that this child survives