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"I kept postponing my child’s treatment, not because I wanted to, but because I had no choice. Every visit to the doctor ended with the same answer—he needed a bone marrow transplant. But how could I gather such a huge amount while supporting my family? I kept praying for a miracle, but that never happened. Now, his condition is critical. He comes running to me, looking for answers, asking, 'Papa, why are we here? What happened to me?' And I have none. As a father, I feel like I am failing him because I cannot afford the only cure that could save his life," says Chavan Vijay, father of the 5-year-old beneficiary
It all started when he was just eight months old. He had a fever that wouldn’t go away, bouts of vomiting, and a weakness that left him too tired to even cry. His skin grew pale, and his tiny body trembled with pain. The hospital visit confirmed every parent’s worst nightmare—he was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called thalassemia. Since then, every 15 to 20 days, his frail body has required a blood transfusion just to keep going. The doctors had warned them from the beginning that a bone marrow transplant was the only way to save him, but Vijay could never afford it. Vijay has visited many temples, he prayed with all his heart, but his hopes are now fading away.
‘Isn’t it every child’s right to live a normal life? Don’t I deserve the same?’
Despite his illness, he tried to live like other children. He went to school, but unlike his classmates, he could not run around or play. His body used to give up on him before he even began. As the days passed between transfusions, his abdomen swelled, his head looked larger than normal, and his strength faded. When he watches other children laugh and chase each other, deep down, he longs for that same freedom.
Now, his only hope lies in his younger brother, whose tiny hands hold the gift of life. As a completely matched donor, his bone marrow could save him. But that hope comes with a cruel condition. The transplant can only happen if the money is arranged, and every passing day without it pushes him closer to the unthinkable.
"He asks me, ‘Am I a bad child, Maa? Why do I have to suffer like this? Don’t I deserve to be like normal children?’ What do I tell him? How do I explain that life is unfair, that no matter how much I love him, I cannot take away his pain? Every night, I hold him close, wishing I could give him a different life—one where he is not bound to a hospital bed or dependent on endless transfusions. But all I can do is wipe his tears and tell him he is the strongest boy in the world," -Vandana, mother
‘How can I look into my son’s eyes and tell him we cannot afford his cure?’
Vijay and Vandana work as daily wage laborers, earning just a few hundreds a day when work is available. After food and other expenses for their three children and Vijay's elderly parents, there is hardly anything left. Even after desperate attempts to gather funds, they have only managed ₹5 lakh—nowhere near the amount needed for his life-saving transplant. Now they are in a Bengaluru hospital, miles away from their hometown in Telangana, holding on to every shred of hope possible to get their son his life–saving treatment.
"Even when we get paid, it’s only for two or three days of work in a week. How can we possibly arrange such a huge amount? We have two other children to take care of, aging parents who rely on us, and barely enough to survive. But what choice do we have? How can I look into my son’s eyes and tell him we cannot save him? I cannot give up on him. Additionally, we are in a different city, struggling to arrange for one square meal a day – but that doesn’t matter because we only want our son to get better." -Vijay
Time is running out. His condition is worsening, and the transplant needs to happen soon. His parents have exhausted every option, but they still fall short. They need help to give their child the future he deserves.
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EIN 20-5139364
