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“When the doctor was explaining the test reports, I was just staring at him blankly. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but the rest of my family had figured it out instantly. I was so terrified, and their reactions only fuelled my fears. It was only when my husband told me, that I realised what was happening. I felt like my heart had stopped beating in that moment. I just couldn't believe it. How could my 4 year old have cancer?…” - Revathi, mother
Persistent fevers and several hospitalizations later, he was found to have cancer
Dhanvith, a generally bubbly and sociable child, suddenly fell victim to a high and recurrent fever, about 2 months ago. He was admitted for days together in one hospital and then another, yet nothing out of the ordinary was detected in his blood reports and tests, except that he had a low white blood cell count.“For a whole month, we were shuffling from one hospital to another. His fever would come and go. Then he had a severe cough, and that too subsided within days. Seeing that his WBC levels were low, the doctors prescribed him with medicines and we hoped that was all he would need. But less than 15 days later, our worst nightmare came true...” - Umesh
These parents learned that their little boy was suffering from B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a type of cancer that starts in the bone marrow. It affects the ‘B-cells’ in the immunity system that help protect the body from infections.
He needs intensive chemotherapy to beat cancer
Dhanvith was immediately administered a treatment plan involving chemotherapy that would last 6 months, followed by supportive therapy for the next two years. Currently, he is undergoing his 3rd cycle of chemotherapy. He is fighting with all his might, but the treatment has been taking a huge toll on his little body.
“He sits quietly and bears the pain from all the needles and injections, and there’s nothing more heartbreaking than seeing him like that. He even tries to console me, ‘Amma, don’t cry. I’ll be okay, I know everything.’ When he says such things, he sounds older than he is, and that upsets me even more. All I want is for him to be a normal kid his age and enjoy a happy childhood. But this disease is adamant on taking that away from him.” - Revathi
His parents are struggling to meet the expenses of his expensive treatment
Umesh is the sole breadwinner of his 7-member family. He works as a driver, but his job is irregular and depends on availability. His meager income isn’t stable, but somehow, they’ve managed to get by with what they have. However, with Dhanvith’s medical bills piling up day by day, he is in a difficult predicament. He’s already used up all he had and even borrowed from his relatives, now he has nothing left.
“We’ve never been well-off, but we were always thankful that we had food to fill our bellies and a roof over our heads. Now we are facing the biggest challenge of our lives. Our son is fighting a dangerous disease, and the treatment he needs is out of our reach because it is so expensive! No matter what I do, I can never arrange for 8 lakh rupees on my own. If I lose my son because of my inability to afford his treatment, I will never be able to forgive myself…” - Umesh
Knowing your child suffers from a life-threatening disease is a bitter pill to swallow, and for Revathi and Umesh it is even harder knowing that their low-income background could be the biggest obstacle in saving their child’s life.
Dhanvith’s life is hanging by a thread, and your generous support can get him the treatment he needs. Click here to donate.
