
At age three, Harisudan had a fever that would not go away. His father, Sivakumar, who works in a printing press, spared no expense and went to every paediatrician in Madurai. Nobody could tell him what caused Harisudan's fever or how to dispel it.
Sivakumar decided to go to the nearest city, Coimbatore and meet a well-known doctor. The doctor suspected Thalassemia and sent the family to Christian Medical College(CMC), Vellore, the nearest place they could get tested.
Hari’s father, Sivakumar, says he still remembers the day when he visited CMC Vellore. “I was tense, and I could feel my wife’s grip on my hand tightening. I know she was scared too. The floor was crowded with small children and their parents running around with stacks of reports.” Once the reports confirmed that Harisudan had Thalassemia, Sivakumar would be doing the same.
The doctors there recommended an immediate blood transfusion. Till now Harisudan has had around 40-50 transfusions and at present requires it twice a month.

When the doctor asked him to stay strong, Hari's response stunned everyone.
When the doctor told Harisudan that he was sick and needed blood transfusion every 15 days, there was a fleeting look of sorrow in his face. Perhaps he recalled the painful process that he undergoes every fortnight. The doctor went on, and encouraged him to stay strong and concentrate on his studies. To their surprise, Harisudan was beaming at the doctor, and said that he would get better and serve the country by joining the Army.

How you can help Harisudan
Blood transfusions are not a cure for Harisudan. These transfusions can be very risky due to faulty screening for other infections. They also lead to serious health complications caused by the iron residue left behind by the incoming blood.The permanent solution that the doctors have recommended is a bone-marrow transplant for him. Harisudan is now old enough to undergo the rigours of the procedure. Samples were collected from the family and sent to a lab in New York, U.S. for matching. Luckily, Harisudan’s 12-year-old elder sister was found to be a good match for the transplant.
This news brought relief to Sivakumar’s family but just when they were hoping things were beginning to get better, they faced another obstacle. They were given an estimation of Rs 15 lakhs for the entire procedure and a month to arrange funds.
If they can collect the funds by this month, the hospital will go ahead with the transplant. Harisudan will have to undergo chemotherapy to prepare his body for the transplant after which he will be in complete isolation when procedure begins.
Harisudan wants to go to school every day, meet his friends, play cricket and carrom, which he enjoys the most. We can help make his dreams of joining the Army come true. As we look forward to a fresh start with the new year, let us do our bit to ease his pain the coming year.
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