“My daughter, Samikshya will turn 1 by the end of this month. But instead of being excited about celebrating her first birthday, I stay up awake all night fearing that she may not wake up the next day. My baby's heart is failing rapidly and it might stop beating if a surgery isn't done before she turns 1,” - Yashomati, 1-year-old Samikshya’s mother.

The parents were taken aback when their little girl started suffering as soon as she turned 5 months old

Yashomati and Jayant were living a happy life in Angul, Orissa with their firstborn. But soon after baby Samikshya turned 5 months old, she started having terrible cough and cold. Often, when Yashomati would try to feed her, she would gasp for breath and stopped feeding. The baby girl also stopped gaining weight. But what scared the first-time parents the most was that their baby could not cry. She seemed to be choking. They couldn’t figure what was wrong with their baby until one day the doctors gave them the horrific news of her rapidly failing heart.

Baby Samikshya’s heart is failing rapidly and she has very little time left without a surgery

After it was confirmed that Samikshya has a failing heart, her parents took her to several doctors, hoping that at least one of them would say that she was alright. But sadly, everybody they went to ascertained that Baby Samikshya is suffering from truncus arteriosus, a condition in which the pure and impure blood gets mixed and circulates in the body. If the baby doesn’t get an urgent heart surgery within 10 days, she might die of heart failure.

“My baby is so tired that she sleeps throughout the day. She faints from breathing too hard even when I try to feed her. Sometimes she stops breathing altogether, for a few moments.In the morning, she coughs a lot and fluid flows uncontrollably from her nose. It’s so painful to see such a small baby suffer so much. I wish I could take away all her pain.”

Being the sole breadwinner of the family, it is very difficult for Jayant to afford his baby’s surgery

Samikshya’s father, Jayant is a daily wage laborer in a small private company in Orissa. He barely manages to earn Rs 200 per day. Jayant alone has to shoulder the responsibilities of his old father, his wife, and his baby. It was difficult for the family to make ends meet. Now with his baby's failing heart, it is extremely difficult for Jayant to manage the expenses. Now managing another Rs 6.5 lakhs is just impossible for the family. 

“Since I couldn’t afford to study beyond plus two, I have always wanted my daughter to have a good future. But now all I want for her is to stay alive. I can’t ask for anything else. We are running out of time. My baby has less than 10 days to get a new life. Without help, I will definitely lose her.”

How you can help

Baby Samikshya is suffering from a major heart disease which has put her life at a huge risk. Instead of celebrating her 1st birthday, her parents are worried about saving her life before she turns 1 in next 10 days. Without your support, the poor parents will lose their only baby.