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“My husband left me and our two daughters at a stage when we needed him the most. My younger daughter’s condition has been worsening from that point on. Yes, she had physical discomfort even before that, but the added pain of her own father abandoning her has only multiplied her suffering. I feel like my poor child’s life is finished; I don’t know what will happen to her. How long will she endure all this?” – Lekha Mondal, mother.
22-year-old Neha Mondal has xeroderma pigmentosum, a rare skin disorder that results in extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight. This condition mostly affects the eyes and areas of skin exposed to the sun. Neha also has eczema, a skin problem that causes dry, itchy, scaly, red skin due to this. Her skin frequently bleeds as a result. However, the most deadly consequence of her disorder is the fact that she is more prone to skin cancer than other people, putting her in a precarious and vulnerable condition overall.
She doesn’t know what a normal life is, or if she will ever get to experience it
When Neha was just 3 years old, some spots started to appear on her lower back, feet, and hand. Her mother ignored it at first because she believed it to be something minor like rashes or allergies. But after some months, her face was almost fully covered by them. Her whole body became gripped by the condition as she grew older. She was prescribed some ointments and medicines for a long time, but there was no improvement at all. Instead, tiny bumps started to grow all over her body. After her diagnosis, she was advised by doctors to wear sunglasses, a face mask, and full-sleeved clothes whenever she went outside.
“She had to drop out of school in the 10th grade as she developed a swelling in her eye as a result of her condition. She had to get that eye removed and never went to school after that. Her life has never been the same hence. During the pandemic, she developed a tumour at the back of her head and suffered immense pain, but we couldn’t get her treated properly. She also dreams of a normal life where she gets a job and becomes independent, but will she ever get to experience it in this lifetime? Will she?” – Lekha, tearfully.
Even the smallest contribution is a step towards freeing her from her misery
Neha underwent plastic surgery on her head to get rid of the tumour, but it did not reap the results doctors thought it would. Another swelling has now cropped up beside it. Additionally, her blood count is drastically low. She needs chemotherapy and radiotherapy to win over the disorder for good, but it will cost INR 10 lakhs – an amount that her single mother cannot afford.“I have tried my best. Even in the absence of her father, I did not give up on my daughter. But now, I have nothing left. After the treatment, once her condition improves, she will need further medication or further chemotherapy. This will cost a fortune. Please help a helpless mother and her daughter. We beg you.” – Lekha
With your kind help, Neha can free herself from the cage of suffering that has imprisoned her all her life. Click here to contribute.
Charity No : 319201431163
