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'Icchi and Innu', that's how everybody would call them because there was no way anyone could even think of separating these adorable sisters. But today, their parents are dreading that possibility as their youngest daughter, Inaaya, is fighting blood cancer.
"I'm 14 and my Innu is just 4. Our bond defies our age difference because that's how close-knit we are. She has always banked upon me and when my parents told me that my bone marrow can help her survive this painful cancer, how could I let my sister down? My parents were worried that I would get hurt from those needles, but nothing can hurt me more than losing my Innu. Icchi just misses her Innu and wants to hug all her pain away." - Iccha, sister
The day she was supposed to be declared to be cancer-free, they found out about her relapse
Instead of rejoicing at the news of their little girl beating cancer, Homnath and Ganga learned of her relapse."We were ecstatic as everything was going well and it was the last day of Inaaya's maintenance visit, so our tickets back home to Nepal were booked. The doctor was just writing her fit to fly certificate, when he randomly glanced upon hardly visible blue spots on Inaaya's arms and got her blood samples taken. The wait in silence was eating at me and I was terrified of what the reports would say. As soon as they were in the doctor's hands, I saw his face turn pale and then he broke the news of Inaaya's cancer relapse to us." - Ganga, mother
This time chemotherapy alone won't be enough to save her, she needs urgent transplant
For the past 2 years, little Inaaya had battled recurring fevers and unbearable pain, only in the hope of winning this battle against cancer. But that is still far from reality, as her relapse would now need her to undergo a bone marrow transplant along with regular chemotherapy."They clearly told us that this relapse won't come under control with chemotherapy alone, but they will still try as much as they can. Even they know we are no longer in a position to afford her transplant of 12 lakh rupees so soon, after spending lakhs in the past few months. I was unable to get myself to process anything logically. It was like my mind was repeating the words, 'cancer', 'transplant' and 'death' on loop." - Ganga, mother
Inaaya at a hospital event Working at a small grocery store will never be enough for Homnath to gather lakhs of rupees alone, so he had to go back to his village in Nepal to borrow and sell whatever is left of him now. On the other hand, Ganga is single-handedly looking after her Inaaya at the hospital. They are torn between both their daughters having to go through immense pain, but that is the only way they can save Inaaya now from her deadly cancer.
4-year old daughter's innocence makes this mother weep
"When I see Innu smile in the hospital with the functions that they organize, her innocence makes me weep. She doesn't know those events are to fulfil the last wishes of children who may not live to see another day, and that terrifies me. But being a mother, my heart becomes selfish at that moment to even see a glimpse of that momentary smile on her face because my child has only ever known pain since she was born." - Ganga, mother
Inaaya was first diagnosed with Pre B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2020. After a year and a half of chemotherapy, she was supposed to be on recovery and maintainence treatment until October 2022, but her cancer relapsed. Her platelet counts were extremely low, leaving her unstable in the ICU for several months. The spurt of cancer cells in her body are crowding her healthy blood cells, causing leukemia cells to populate in her blood.
Her only chance at survival now is a bone marrow transplant, which won't be possible without your help now. Please consider clicking here to contribute towards little Inaaya's treatment.
