“It has been months since I dropped my kids to school. My wife and I have spent days and nights in these hallways hoping to leave these white walls and never come back," Suresh recalls a time when life was simple and easy.
20 days of every month now, you will see Suresh in the hallways of Naryana Hrudalya Hospitals, Bangalore, hustling across floors to get everything his son needs. If you look into his eyes, you would know he cannot stand to see his son plugged to needles and drips; so he mostly paces up and down, not able to sit down for even a moment, constantly checking up on his son through the glass hole on the door.
Suresh is a daily wage labourer in a village 10kms from Hassan. Ploughing the farms and loading the trucks fetches him Rs.200 a day. Married and father of 2 kids, Suresh’s day would start with dropping Hemalatha (class 10) and Chandrasekhar (class 7) to school. “It has been months since I dropped my kids to school. My wife and I have spent days and nights in these hallways hoping to leave these white walls and never come back.”
When a fever did not subside for 3 months
Chandrashekar had recurring episodes of fever since the beginning of the year. Assuming a routine effect of having eaten excessive junk, Suresh would take him to the pediatric doctor in Mysore. But when the fever of March lasted for 7 days, they knew it was more than just that.
Suresh left for Bangalore with his family to give his son the best medical care. After running a few tests at NH hospital, it was confirmed that Chandrashekar was suffering from B-Cell ALL, an aggressive type of leukemia (blood cancer). Since then, Suresh and his family have been travelling up and down every 10 days for chemotherapy and blood transfusion sessions.
“It took good 2 weeks for the fever to subside. They cannot start chemo sessions with a running fever. So we have been able to finish only couple of sessions so far.”
Their Simple Old Life Is Now Just A Fading Memory:
“With every chemo, I see my son grow a little more than he should, given his age. His tantrums have dropped, he does not complain about the needles, he cries occasionally but wipes it off the moment he sees his sister.”
With chemotherapy sessions going on, it becomes extremely important that Chandrashekar is not exposed to any kind of dirt or dust. With his immune systems compromised, he needs to stay indoors.
"Never had I known what a BMT meant. Let alone knowing what it costs."
But this is not the only worry giving Suresh sleepless nights. Earning Rs.200 a day, Suresh cannot afford to rent a room near the hospital. The couple have been spending nights in the hospital hallways.
“We lead a simple life. The monthly expenses would get squared away within Rs.3000. Rent. School fees. Groceries. It was also taken care off. Never had I known what a BMT meant. Let alone knowing what it costs. I don't know what to do. It's unfair, but I keep feeling that if I had more money I could have been a better father! ”
How you can help
Chandrashekar is just 13-year-old and has a whole life ahead of him. He is very close to getting cured, and if he undergoes a transplant in coming months, he has a good chance of survival. His resilience through the painful blood transfusions and chemo sessions is proof enough that he is a fighter.
Suresh's income is barely enough to cover his son’s everyday antibiotics. Medical expenses since January have already been a struggle. It's not easy for a parent to see his child go through so much and stand by him with nothing more than love to offer. Your support will save his 13-year-old son. Please contribute now and help Suresh.
Supporting Document
Funds collected will be transferred to the hospital towards his transplant expenses and all supporters will receive regular updates on Chandrashekar’s progress. Click here to save Suresh's little boy.
