When Tulsi and Arup get back home at night after a long day in the hospital, there’s a deafening silence. Sleep evades them, as they go to bed only with thoughts of their newborn twins in the confines of an incubator. The past five days have been the toughest for these new parents. The life they had envisioned for when their babies were born is only a distant dream now. Though shattered, they are trying their best to muster up the courage to face their tragic reality.


Tulsi and Arup's baby boy

An emergency delivery was their only chance, but they need help to get stronger and make it

“It was the seventh month of pregnancy, and she was glowing with health. Till then checkups only meant we could see our babies one more time. But this time was different. They told us one of the babies wasn’t growing at all. Blood flow had stopped to her body, and if they weren’t delivered soon, both the babies' and my wife’s life would be in danger.”

Tulsi and Arup's baby girl

Tulsi and Arup’s twin babies were born two months premature and extremely underweight. Their baby girl was only 700 gms at birth. The baby boy and girl both struggled to breathe and were quickly rushed to the NICU and placed on ventilator support. The emergency C-section was crucial for their survival, but the twins need to stay in the NICU for longer to get stronger and completely recover.

The babies have been suffering from the second they were born

Arup and Tulsi’s babies are only 5 days old. In such a short span, they have experienced a world of pain. While the heartbroken parents watch them through the glass of the incubator, they can’t help but wonder if they’ll ever hold them again.

“Their life began in pain and as parents, we couldn’t do anything to protect them from that. I feel like I’ve failed my children already. Now, they’re off the ventilator but still need oxygen support to breathe. Every day they’re reaching small milestones, all on their own. They can get better, but even a small infection can be fatal at this point."

Arup can’t afford to pay Rs 60,000 per day to save his babies, no matter how hard he tries

After an unimaginable turn of fate, their emotional and financial struggles are never-ending. The daily medical expenses for each baby is almost 30,000, which is almost three times what Arup earns from his job at a private company every month.

“My monthly income just isn’t enough now.The last two years have been tough for us. While we were earning enough to get by, we were never able to save much because of my accident and then falling sick because of dengue. 12 lakhs is an unimaginable amount for us, but without it, we'll lose both our babies."

How You Can Help

Tulsi and Arup’s twins need to stay in the ICU for longer to survive. Their organs are underdeveloped, and they still can’t even breathe on their own yet. Their baby boy needs to stay in the NICU for 3 more weeks, and their baby girl needs to stay for 8 weeks to get better again. They’re too weak and fragile to leave the hospital yet. Their only chance to survive is medical care.