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“I’m so frightened because my daughter’s heart beats so rapidly. She has a big hole in her heart and we were told that she won’t even last for a month longer. She cries so much because she can’t even breathe. This is so stressful, we’re in such a horrible situation.” – Mukesh, Samiksha’s father
5-month-old Samiksha’s life has been nothing but torturous since birth. After suffering from severe diarrhea for over 2 months, now, her heart is at high risk of failure because of a dangerous hole in her heart. Her father, a poverty-stricken laborer, is torn apart because he just can’t seem to afford to save his baby girl’s dying heart.
Samiksha cannot sleep or breastfeed and feels suffocated
“Her heart beats abnormally fast and by just looking at her face you can tell that she is finding it hard to breathe normally. Sometimes, her body turns so pale that it seems like there is no blood in her body at all. It’s a horrible sight for any parent. She finds it very hard to sleep or breastfeed. She just breastfeeds for a minute and then she gets tired. She can't stop crying too. It just goes on and on, and this has been going on for months.” – Mukesh
Just over a month ago, 5-month-old Samiksha was diagnosed with a congenital heart disease known as ventricular septal defect which is essentially a deadly hole in the baby’s heart. Due to this, Samiksha’s body is unable to receive enough oxygen-rich blood causing her to feel suffocated. As her heart is on the verge of failing, she is also being tormented by pneumonia.
Samiksha had diarrhea for 2 months and is severely underweight too
“Just when she was a month old, she started suffering from severe diarrhea. She would pass stool for over 10-11 times in a day and would just cry so much. This lasted for over 2 months! It was so terrible to see her suffer like this, she wouldn’t be able to eat much at all. Right now, she weighs just 4 kilos whereas a regular baby her age should weigh around 7 kilos. She looks so thin. In just 5 months, my daughter has been through hell.” – Mukesh
Now, apart from being underweight, Samiksha’s dying heart is running out of time. The 5-month-old’s only hope for survival lies in getting an urgent corrective heart surgery, within the next week if possible. She simply can’t survive for long but her father has nothing left to save her.
Anita, Samiksha, and Mukesh
Mukesh is desperate to save Samiksha, but he has no way to do so
“I work as a laborer at a medicine store and I earn around Rs. 200/day. Apart from my wife Anita, I need to feed my 3-year-old son, Ayush and now, Samiksha. I’m not able to save a rupee. How will I afford such an expensive surgery? I’ve just been so tensed since a month and I can’t even seem to eat, drink or think properly. I just want to save her.” – Mukesh
Mukesh, a poverty-striken laborer, doesn’t even have money to afford a doctor’s visit. Until now, he has provided over Rs. 20,000 for Samiksha’s check-ups, tests and medicines. He just doesn’t have anything left and he desperately needs Rs. 1.8 lakhs for the life-saving heart surgery 5-month-old Samiksha needs.
How you can help
At just 5 months of birth, this baby girl is struggling to breathe, her dying heart cannot hold on for long without a surgery. Immediate help can save her life.Your help will save 5-month-old Samiksha and will ensure she lives.
Supporting Document
The specifics of this case have been verified by the medical team at the concerned hospital. For any clarification on the treatment or associated costs, contact the campaign organizer or the medical team.
