"I have not seen a kid this strong. I know of grown-ups who would have broken down by now, but my 15-year old niece smiles and consoles her parents, giving them courage that she will make it. Her mother cries, she loses faith sometimes, but Jeevana ensures they do not give up," says Amarnath, Jeevana's uncle.
In November 2016, Jeevana's mother noticed she was going pale:
Jeevana's body had slowly started going pale.
Her family lives in a village, about 15km away from the nearest town. When Jeevana's mother noticed she was suddenly going pale, they rushed her to the doctor in the town, who did not correctly gauge the intensity of the situation.
She was given blood transfusions for almost a month, but the situation was not getting better. The family then consulted another doctor, but when the medicines did not take effect for over 20 days, the doctor recommended they go to a bigger hospital in Hyderabad.When the worst nightmare came true:
It was the tests in this hospital that revealed the worst that the family could expect.
Jeevana was diagnosed with final stage Blood Cancer."It was a shock for them. The entire family could not recover from it. They broke, like any ordinary family would when they hear about Cancer. Her mother slipped into depression. She wouldn't eat, wouldn't talk, she just could not be her normal self after that day. After all, Jeevana is closest to her mother."
The Struggle:
Jeevana's father has a small business that yields an income of Rs. 15-20,000. It is with this income that he is educating all three of his children and running the household as well.
With this, he has already spent over Rs. 14 Lakh on her treatment. A part of this was support extended by relatives, but a major part of this amount has been borrowed on interest."It would take him a lifetime to just repay these loans, " Amarnath continues.
Everytime, there was an amount to pay in the hospital, her father would run from pillar to post trying to gather funds to ensure she did not miss out on any part of her treatment.Why you should help:
Jeevana's cancer is in the last stage now, and a Bone Marrow Transplant is the only way out. Fortunately, her mother is a perfect match for this procedure. The transplant must be started at the earliest.
With every passing day, her condition is worsening, and her family is losing hopes of spending more years with her.
She, however, is holding on strong and continuing to smile through all her own pain and fears.This brave, beautiful girl deserves a chance to live.
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