Puneet is not just a great friend, and a responsible son but also an amazing human being! He is a teacher and a recruiter by profession and teaches english, psychology, and law. On last new year’s eve he found out that he is HIV positive. Since then he has been in and out of hospital, having spent more time in the hospital than home in the last four months. He contacted tuberculosis, pneumonia, abdominal Koch’s syndrome, and haemolytic anaemia, owing to his HIV positive status. In the beginning of March he went into a paralytic shock and had a one hour long seizure episode. Subsequent blood tests revealed that he has Cryptococcus Neoformans, a fungal infection that affects the brain. Since then his titer count has worsened from 1:64 to 1:1280.

He needs to take a Liposomal Amphotericine B injection four times a day, for the next 20 days. The cost of each injection ranges from ₹3000-10,000 depending on availability. While we are talking to suppliers, wholesalers, organisations that will help us procure these vials as a subsidised cost, the amount is still a lot to bear. He also has to take some other injections and steroids which cost him upwards of ₹1500 on a daily basis. This does not even include the cost for the treatment of other illnesses and HIV.

This time has been mentally, emotionally, and financially strenuous for him. Financially more so because he is the sole earning member of his family. Being the fighter that he is, he still managed to take care of his expenses, most of which include continuous tests, injections, and medication. However, it has taken a toll on him and he is not able to work with the same spirit and vigour. Please help in whatever capacity you can and I can assure you that we will be eternally grateful!