“One thing we are thankful about is that she can talk. She may be 2, but she clearly tells us what is happening to her, so we can make it better. I just hope to keep my promise to her. I want to fight this cancer for her.”
2-year-old Ifra Fatima is a beautiful little toddler. She is enthusiastic, happy, chatty and loving. Everyone hoped that she would grow up to be a vibrant young woman until frequent spells of fever dampened her colorful personality. Now, this baby girl is fighting cancer and the terrible side effects of chemotherapy.
The fever that kept coming back
Imran Pasha and Irfat Fatima did not think much when Ifra first came down with a fever. When it did not subside and she complained of pain in her leg, their anxiety heightened. They rushed her to a doctor near their locality in Bangalore. In the initial examination, he diagnosed her with having calcium deficiency and prescribed a syrup.
“We kept giving her the syrup. It did not help at all. She would keep getting fever, cry of leg pain and she would not move her neck as if she had a sprain.”
Those white blood cells are supposed to protect her, not kill her!
Again, Imran took her to the same clinic insisting it was something more. This time, the doctor recommended blood tests suspecting a deeper issue. The report broke Imran’s heart. He had never expected to hear that the toddler had Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a form of cancer that makes abnormal white blood cells.
“We were referred to HCG. Immediately I brought her here. In 6 months, her disease has progressed so much. We need an equally aggressive treatment. Her 1st cycle of chemotherapy just got over. She needs a few more cycles. With just a few days of break between each cycle giving her body time to recover, this fight will be intense.”
Saving every rupee to save my daughter
Imran works as a supervisor at an interior decoration firm. He makes Rs. 15,000/month to support his father, wife, child and younger brother. He has already spent over Rs. 4 Lakhs on this treatment. It is getting tougher to manage the mounting expenses. This treatment is estimated to cost around Rs. 15.1 Lakhs and he is in need of immediate financial assistance to get his daughter through this hellfire.
“Ifra is now dealing with vomiting, loose motion, constipating, fever and a lot of irritation. She is on antibiotics. She is so scared of doctors and nurses. The minute she sees them, she freezes. They come day and night to take blood and those needles traumatize her. She has to go through this if she has to get better. I have promised her it will all soon be over and she can come home healthy.”
This baby girl expresses her pain and it is heartbreaking for anyone. For 3 days now, she has been constipated. It has been painful for her to empty her bowels and she pleads with her parents to help. Her father is going to work every day to earn as much as he can for her treatment.
Your support can help end Ifra’s pain and beat cancer.
Supporting Documents
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.
