"He is our first child and we were thrilled at his arrival. We had so many dreams and plans for him but now all that is reduced to one thing - to save his life. Shivers ran down my spine when I heard his heart murmurs. His heart was beating rapidly. He was immediately taken to ICU and many tests were done. I hoped those murmurs would be normal' but doctors said he has heart disease and needs an urgent surgery" - Loganathan.
The young couple is devasted to know that their precious baby's life is uncertain even before they could take him home. Srividya's baby Tejas is now 2-months-old. He should have got the surgery long back, but they couldn't make it happen because of financial constraints. They are scared that their only son will slip away from their hands at any moment.
Tejas was born with a complicated heart disease and doctors said only a surgery can save his life
Srvidhya's pregnancy was smooth and her scan reports were perfect. She and her husband Loganathan were least prepared for any bad news. Unfortunately, the baby is diagnosed with a complicated heart disease, he has a hole between the heart's two upper chambers and in the lower chambers as well. As a result, some oxygen-rich blood is pumped to the lungs instead of out to the body.
"He sweats so much while feeding, very soon he gets breathless. In this 2 months, he has not gained weight at all. Right from the day one, we are struggling to arrange funds for his surgery but we fail every day. I cannot explain how terrible it is to know that your baby is dying slowly and you're not able to do anything about it." - Srividya.
Parents have been delaying the life-saving surgery due to lack of funds
Though Loganathan and Srividya were shocked about their son's condition they were relieved that there is a solution to fight the disease. But now reality hits them hard and they are not able to make the money needed for the surgery. They have been spending the sleepless night since his birth and never been able to feel happy about being new parents."He hardly sleeps in the night, he cries uncontrollably. He gets suffocated and we rush him to hospital. But doctors have clearly told us that nothing can help him but only an urgent surgery. We stay in the hospital the whole night and come back home after he sleeps." - Srividya.
Srividya's baby needs an urgent surgery without which he will not survive. Even a small cold or an infection that might look harmless can turn fatal. The family has been extremely helpful to Loganathan and Srividya in this worst phase of their life by giving their moral support. However, they cannot contribute financially as they are poor too.
"I'm an electrician and I do not get work every day; I earn around Rs 600 per day if I manage to find some work. My wife and I were always determined to give our child healthy food. We were willing to do anything for his future but now we are just watching him going through so much of pain. I do not have anything to sell, I know every passing minute is a risk I'm taking on his life but I'm helpless. I feel my guilt itself will break me into pieces." - Loganathan.