“She used to beg us to take her back home. She threw tantrums and asked us why she couldn’t go back and be with her brothers and sisters. Now, she knows. We told her. Telling her she’s fighting cancer was the hardest thing we had to do! It killed us to see her grow silent, as if she was accepting whatever fate gave her.“ - Abdur, father.
Far away from home and separated from her family, Arman is fighting blood cancer
13-year-old Arman was a happy-go-lucky child who didn't have a worry in the world. She loved going to school. When she got back home, she would help with the chores assigned to her and hop away to play with her siblings and friends. She’d never sit still. Life had been simple and pleasant. Then one day, all that she loved doing was snatched away from her. Away from home and bound to a bed in the hospital for the past 4 months, Arman is now fighting blood cancer.“It started with a change in her eating pattern. She would barely eat. One day, she complained of an unbearable stomach ache one day. We took her to a hospital in Assam, but they said it was her liver that was giving up on her. We don’t know much; we don’t understand all this. We go by what the doctors say and we did the same! We gave her medicines for the liver! But misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis followed!” – Abdur, father.
Unsure of what the sickness was, the helpless parents rushed to hospitals one after the other.
After 3 months of the prescribed medicine, there still was no improvement. The pain persisted! The parents took her to a different hospital in Meghalaya and there, she was diagnosed with a tumor in her stomach. After 6 months of medication, she got better – only for a few days. Now, however, she was unable to talk. Her throat hurt and she couldn’t eat or even drink water without wincing in pain. Afraid, they rushed her to another hospital in Guwahati where she was again prescribed with medication for 10 days, for tumor. There still was no improvement. The parents were helpless.
“I’m only a tea-seller. I don’t understand all this. I wish I were educated”
“After months of running from one hospital to the other, we finally took her to a hospital in Bombay. We came to know what the sickness was – it knocked the breath out of us. She was diagnosed with a chronic blood cancer and a bone marrow transplant was her only hope of survival. At that time we did not understand what it meant. But when we came to know the gravity of the situation, we did not know what to do! If I were educated, maybe things would be different. “
Arman’s brother’s bone marrow is a match
Although her brother, the donor, is prepared, they are unable to proceed with the transplant due to the expenses.
The expenses amount to 17 lakhs and the parents have nothing with them
Away from home, Abdur and his wife are struggling to gather the required funds, while the children are all by themselves. The eldest son is taking care of the tea-shop in his father’s absence, trying to make as much money as possible. He has been working extra hours. But they have no hope of ever meeting the expense.
“I own a little tea shop in Assam, which fetches me Rs. 4,000-5,000 a month. We have 11 children - A happy big close knitted family. With whatever I earned, I could provide education to all of them and get 3 of them married. I was proud of myself. But now, it has all come crashing down. Nobody in our family has ever had a sickness. And to think my little Arman is battling for life, I can’t take it. After meeting up with trusts so many, I have managed to gather close to a lakh! That’s it! I don’t know where else to go. Any help from you, will help us save our little daughter. Back home, her siblings are dying to see her. Please help us get her back home!”
Separated from her family, little Arman is battling cancer. Your contribution can save Arman and get her back home.
Supporting Document
The specifics of this case have been verified by the medical team at the concerned hospital. For any clarification on the treatment or associated costs, contact the campaign organizer or the medical team.
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