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"The second wave of COVID was a nightmare for Yusuf because of the shortage of blood units everywhere. He needs blood transfusions every 15 days, failing which he starts having blackouts and turning fully pale. There used to be a delay of 8-10 days to arrange for even a single unit of blood for him. With my husband battling cancer and a newborn baby to take care of, I was fighting for the survival of my family every minute, all by myself, during those dark times." - Raunaque, mother
Yusuf needs an urgent transplant to fight this blood disorder
8-year old Yusuf was just 6-months old when his parents found out about his condition, Thalassemia major, a disease where his body isn't producing enough haemoglobin on its own. Since his childhood, Yusuf has been surviving only with frequent blood transfusions, but now a bone marrow transplant is the only cure left for him. With a host of infections due to the transfusions, Yusuf's immunity is severely compromised.
His father is battling cancer and out of work since 2 years
After spending 20 lakhs for his treatment till now, his mother is unable to arrange for 24 lakhs more. Things would have been easier if Yusuf's parents, Aslam and Raunaque, were both working. But unfortunately Aslam was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2019, and has been battling it since then. Earlier, he used to work as a daily-wage labourer earning Rs.200 a day from his painting and polishing job."One day his motions suddenly stopped and in less than a week we found out about his Stage 1 cancer. The doctor advised an immediate surgery but by the time I could arrange the money for his surgery, his cancer had already reached Stage 2. Later on, we found out that his cancer was from those harmful paint chemicals. All of a sudden, Aslam was bed-ridden and our only source of income had stopped."- Raunaque, mother
He dreams to play cricket like Sachin Tendulkar someday
An avid Sachin Tendulkar fan, it is heart-breaking to see Yusuf in this condition where he can't run or play. His mother got him a plastic bat and prays to Allah that one day she will see her son play cricket too, instead of just watching other kids play. But that is only possible after he undergoes the transplant. Yusuf had to drop out of school because his teachers were also worried about his deteriorating health.
After selling off her jewellery and exhausting all their savings, Raunaque had no option but to find work herself. She started giving tuitions, but due to the pandemic she was forced to stop her classes because parents feared to send their children outside. Her only hope now would be your generous contributions.
Please click here to help 8-year old Yusuf afford his life-saving transplant.
