For 5 years now, 21-year-old Bikash has not been able to lie down to rest.
Bikash Hazarika, from Dibrugarh district in Assam, is suffering from a rare disease that has caused his belly to swell up to the size of a beach ball hasn’t been able to sleep properly in the past five years.
He is suffering from Hirschsprung's disease - a rare condition leading to a build-up of faeces inside his bowel. The condition is so severe now that he can neither sit comfortably, nor walk.
He cannot eat, sleep or even urinate without medicines.
The 21-year-old now depends on medicines for even his day-to-day activities.
"His mother has made a pit in their house so that he can sit comfortably and sleep. Yet, he needs medicines to induce sleep for even an hour or two. His plight is unbearable. He cannot even relieve himself. I could not even imagine I would have to see him in this situation one day,” Bikash’s friend Manas says.
He is so critical now that he may not survive even a day without taking his medicines.
It started with a heart attack diagnosis and a surgery.
In 2009, while playing football with his friends, Bishal became breathless and collapsed. Since he used to get breathless frequently after that, he visited a local doctor. He was sent to the government hospital at Dibrugarh learned that he had had a heart attack sometime back, due to which his heart rate had slowed down. A surgery was performed and a pacemaker was inserted.
“We struggled to get that surgery done. I was told this was the only way my son could survive, and I did what I could to save him, but he has never been the same after that. I cannot watch him suffer like this. No father can see his son writhe in pain every day,” Bikash’s father feels helpless, unable to earn more at 60.
Bikash’s medicines cost spill over the household income.
While Bikash’s father is a contract worker and has no permanent income, his brother is a daily wage worker. The income is not even enough to cover day to day expenses. Most of Bikash’s medicines are bought on credit. The family has also sold the little land they could farm on to supplement their limited income.
Why he needs help:
The accumulation of toxins and fluids in his body is making Bikash’s life incredibly painful. He has now been diagnosed with Hirschsprung's disease. His treatment must begin at the earliest, but would cost the family almost INR 6 lakh. This amount is too much for them.
"We friends have tried to put togather some money for Bikash, but that is too little to treat his condition," said Manas
How you can help.
Bikash lives in unimaginable pain. Although he is holding on strong, he is slowly giving up.
Any contribution made towards this fundraiser will help Bikash avail treatment for his condition. Click here to help Bikash.“Can you even call this living? I have not been able to lie down to rest my back in years. I cannot eat food without being helped my medicines. I need medicines to be able to rest for a while,”
