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"My father always told me that money is not everything. The dedication and devotion for whatever you do is more important. He always stood by his principles. But, now when I see him lying unconscious and struggling for his life, I realize the fleeting and certain nature of life. The only way he can be saved now is through treatment that requires a lot of money, which we don't have. I hope the people who loved him so much, come forward to help us in this time of need." - Sushma, daughter, with teary eyes
Ashok with his daughter, Sushma.The performance that was ill-fated
Ashok Raj, popularly and lovingly known as "Tiger Ashok" is a living legend in the field of Pilivesa or Tiger dance, a traditional dance form that he selflessly kept alive through his commitment to make it known among the masses. Despite his fame, he never charged exorbitant fees, believing that it would hamper the spread of art and lead to the death of its profound legacy. It was during one such event, a few days ago, while performing, that suddenly felt uneasy and complained of severe chest pain. He was immediately rushed to the hospital."We were all worried when he caught his chest, bent down, sweating, and breathing heavily. He has diabetes and the last few days had been really stressful due to the event. He became unconscious by the time we reached the hospital. The doctors revived him with CPR and admitted him immediately into the ICU." - Sushma, daughter, recalling the tragic tale of events
The doctors told them his condition was very critical
The doctors told the family that Ashok had suffered a massive heart attack and needed to be shifted to a private hospital with better facilities."The doctors informed us that due to the heart attack, the blood flow to the brain was also affected which caused him to become unconscious and slip into coma. He needed to stay in the ICU for at least one more month till he regained consciousness and then they would be able to decide the further course of treatment. We are still in disbelief, as all these events have happened so quickly." - Mishan Kumar, to be son-in-law
The treatment costs drained all the savings of the family and they have nothing left
With each passing day in the ICU, the mental agony of his family was aggravated by the soaring costs of his treatment. The family has spent INR 12 lakhs till now. This, however, is still insufficient as Ashok needs to stay in the ICU for another month to have a chance at recovery. The doctors have given an estimate of INR 20 lakhs for his treatment."He took only INR 8-10 thousand for each performance and distributed the rest among the troupe members. I often asked him to charge more as we too had to meet our needs, but he always turned me down saying, that the love of his people was his biggest earning which would get him through every difficulty. All our savings have been exhausted. I don't know how will we be able to arrange such a huge amount." - Sushma Raj, daughter, breaks down sobbing
He wanted to see his daughter get married soon
Ashok Raj is a man of strong will and determination. Despite odd financial conditions and a child with special needs among his three kids, he never gave up on his passion and pushed through to establish himself as a legend in his field. His daughter, Sushma learnt the craft from him to carry on his legacy. She was about to get married by the end of this year, but now it's all uncertain."My father was very excited when I told him about my plans to get married. We used to discuss the preparations every day and he would tell me that he would leave no stone unturned in the arrangements. But, now, I don't even know whether he will be there to witness..." - Sushma
The family has no means of arranging the money required for his treatment and needs your help.
Please contribute generously and spread the word far and wide so that others too can join in to help this legendary dancer overcome this death scare and live to spread happiness through his talent for many more years. Click here to donate.
