“When I held him for the first time, I broke down. We had lost one child. I had survived cancer. And then he came into our lives like a blessing. But now I see him struggling to walk, to eat, to even speak. I don’t know if we can save him this time.
I’m scared we’ll lose everything… again.”— Subhabrata, father
For Subhabrata and Malvika, their son was nothing short of a miracle. After a miscarriage in 2013 and Subhabrata's long battle with cancer ending in 2017, they finally welcomed their baby boy in October 2021. Their home was once filled with laughter, drawings on the walls, and stories from school.
But everything changed in July this year.
The little boy began drinking water excessively, lost his appetite, and started vomiting. His walk became unsteady. He was admitted to the hospital, and after a series of tests and scans, doctors diagnosed him with aggressive brain tumours between his eyes and the back of his head.
He underwent brain surgery and now needs multiple sessions of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to survive.
‘He was the most active child in his class’
Before this illness, he loved to draw, recite poems, and play sports. He was always smiling, always full of life. Today, he can barely get out of bed. His eyes look lost. His steps are shaky. He asks when he can go back to school—but his future now depends entirely on treatment.“He was such a joyful child. The kind who would make friends with everyone. Now, all he does is lie still. We never thought we’d be in this situation. His treatment is long, and the costs are going up every single day. We’ve used up our savings, insurance, and help from relatives. But it’s not enough.”—Malvika, mother
‘We can’t afford to stop now—please help us continue his treatment’
Subhabrata, a government contractor based in Kolkata, is trying everything to keep up with the bills. Malvika, a women protection officer, has been on leave since her son was diagnosed to stay by his side. They've spent over ₹20 lakhs already, but this is only the beginning. Without continued chemotherapy and care, the risk of relapse is dangerously high.
“We waited years for him. We prayed through cancer, through heartbreak, just to have our own baby. Now that he’s here, we are begging to keep him alive. Please help us save our son. We are doing everything we can, but we can’t do this alone.”—Subhabrata
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