Help Vijaya Fight For Her Heart!

Four years ago, Vijaya (a 36 year old woman) discovered that she had a congenital heart disease called Ebstein Anomaly. This is a rare heart defect in which the tricuspid valve - the valve between the upper right chamber (right atrium) and the lower right chamber (right ventricle) of the heart – does not work properly. As a result, blood leaks back through the valve and into the right atrium. In an ideal world, Vijaya would have been perfectly fine if she was born in a hospital – the disease would have been detected and operated upon at a young age. However, in India, this is a privilege not often extended to the poor. Born at her father’s house in the small village of Konalavadi (Tamil Nadu), Vijaya’s life has been one of struggle and hardship. In her childhood, Vijaya’s family relied on goat rearing and odd jobs in the village to make ends meet. They eventually moved to Bangalore in search of better livelihood opportunities but Vijaya had to drop out of school when she was 10 years old to help out with looking after the family. She also started working with her mother as domestic help in people’s houses and continues to be engaged in the profession till date.  

Vijaya has come a long way from there. Even though she had to drop out of school, it has not deterred her from her desire to learn. Last year, she graduated from a course organised by FICCI Floh in Cooking to help women start small businesses. She had to overcome many barriers to achieve this goal – her fear of learning in a formal set up having dropped out of school at such a young age, travelling alone to classes, picking up a new language – but she persisted and persevered. This is who Vijaya is - a hardworking and caring woman, friend, and mother who is trying to make the most of life even when she knows her health is on the downturn.

After she was diagnosed four years ago, Vijaya has been on medication to “manage” her condition. However, all the doctors who she has consulted have indicated that surgery is the only solution. As an adult, surgery for this condition is risky. So, Vijaya has been avoiding it because she wanted her children to complete school, especially her daughter Sandhya. This has meant regular doctor appointments and many emergency visits in the middle of the night for years now. With support from Priya Pillai, a friend whose house and life Vijaya manages, she has been able to access good medical care that has allowed her to work and move forward with her life.

However, earlier this year, Vijaya’s heart stopped supporting her life and routines. With Sandhya (her daughter) in college, Vijaya is now willing to consider surgery. She has already undergone the preliminary procedures. Money to cover these expenses and the doctor’s visits over the past 4 years were raised by Priya from her personal networks. However, there is only so much one person can do. We are reaching out to you with the hope that you will be willing to donate some money – however small – so that a young woman can go on to live a healthy and fulfilling life.