39 year old Kiran Patil suffered 55-60% burns after an accidental blast in her kitchen. She underwent plastic surgeries and is now under injection and medications to recover completely. The family I struggling to pay for her daily medications. Kiran’s right leg is immobile and she might need a surgery. This puts the family in a crisis as they cannot afford the surgery expenses. With your contribution Kiran can get back to her life.
It was a quiet Saturday morning in the Patil household. It was around 11 am and Kiran Patil was cooking. Her elder daughter, Deepali was busy studying while her younger daughter had gone to school. Kiran enjoyed cooking and that day was no different except for that she couldn't know of the impending danger. Kiran had her dish on the stove and was searching on the shelves on top for some ingredients. She accidently toppled the bottle of kerosene while reaching for the jar next to it. The kerosene fell on the burner and there was a blast. Kiran couldn’t move as it happened within seconds. Her face, hands, thighs were burned.
Hearing her mother cry,
Deepali ran to the kitchen to find her mother on the kitchen floor. She remembers feeling rooted to the spot. She forced herself to move and brought water in buckets and doused the fire. She had just one thought,
‘She had to get her mother to a hospital and it had to be done fast’. But she knew she needed help carrying her mother. She called her cousin who lives in the same locality and ran out to catch a taxi. Her cousin hurried to their house and both of them helped Kiran to an auto as they couldn’t find a taxi. They took her to the closest hospital but the doctors said that with 55-60% burns, Kiran should be taken to a better hospital. They rushed to a different hospital who gave Kiran primary treatment and asked the family to shift her to Sterling Hospital, Ahmedabad. It was around 5 p.m. when Kiran reached Sterling hospital.
She was taken to the emergency ward and then shifted to ICU. 
When Family and friends became her strength
Once she was out of danger, she underwent re-constructive plastic surgey. The family struggled to manage the treatment expenses. There was a time when they felt Kiran was sinking in depression. Deepali didn’t hesitate, she knew what she has do. “We are her strength, she keeps saying that always. I knew if we cheer up, she will be happy too. Somehow I felt her worry is that we will not be strong”, say Deepali.
Kiran underwent plastic surgeries to reconstruct her face and hands. The family paid over 18 lakhs to get the surgeries done. Deepali’s friends came together to help. They managed to collect funds for the initial treatment and Kiran’s insurance covered around 3 lakhs. The family was relieved after her surgery was completed but they never knew that the recovery process would be this complicated and expensive.
How you can help Kiran
Kiran is now at home. She has a long way to go before a full recovery. She needs physiotherapy sessions every day, and visit the hospital to change the dressing of her wounds twice a week. Doctors have suggested that she undergo a surgery for her right leg if medications fail to help. The family is supported just by the salary of Kiran’s husband. They spend over Rs 8,000 just for injections and even more for medications every day. Kiran is optimistic of her recovery. She is ready to bear the pain and go for daily physiotherapy sessions just so that she is soon back to taking care of herself and her family. We can do our bit to save Kiran get back her to her life.
