Share
10-year-old Nitesh had spent most of his life grappling with neurofibromatosis, a group of rare genetic disorders that had caused a tumour weighing 1kg, to form on his nerve tissues, claiming almost the entirety of his face. As a result, his face swelled up and became disfigured to such an extent that he could neither eat nor talk properly. This tumour had robbed him of his childhood - and if left untreated, it could have caused great harm to his health and threatened his life too.
Nitesh is one of the lucky ones who received the required treatment on time, thanks to the generosity of kind souls like you, who stepped in to help him when his parents were on the verge of giving up.
He had been burdened with the tumour since he was 3 years old
Nitesh was only a few days old when his parents took notice of swollen eye, that only kept growing and expanding across his face in the form of a large tumour.“We’d been relentlessly trying to arrange for funds for his treatment for years, and took him to several different doctors. But each time, we were informed of the huge expenses. Although the hope that we’d see our boy healthy one day had kept us going, we had been met with failure so many times that we had begun to lose heart.” - Sudha Bai, mother
They were torn between seeking help for their son and keeping the family fed
“We had witnessed our son struggle since he was a child. He constantly needed us, both for emotional and physical support. He couldn’t see from his left eye and had difficulty performing many tasks. He was entirely dependent on us to just survive each day. We worried for him and his future - after all, we wouldn’t be around forever to take care of him. We just wanted him to receive proper treatment, so he could live a normal life, independently.” - Penshan Lal, father
You freed Nitesh from years of suffering and gave him the life he deserved
Nitesh’s parents, Penshan Lal and Sudha Bai, who had seen their child suffer in front of their eyes, had stopped at nothing in order to afford Nitesh’s treatment. They had even taken to the streets to beg for the sake of their ailing child. But as daily wage labourers with a meagre income, they were on the verge of giving up knowing that with their financial incapability they would never be able to relieve their child from his suffering.
They were fortunate enough that you came across their plea for help, and supported him in all possible ways. Thanks to your kind intervention, in February 2022, Nitesh underwent an extensive and complex surgical procedure that lasted 8 long hours. He remained in stable condition throughout the surgery, and the concerned surgeons and specialists were able to extract the 1kg tumour from the left side of his face. Subsequently, he underwent reconstructive surgeries to rectify the disfigurement left behind by the removal of the facial tumour.
“When the doctors told us that his surgery was successful and that he would be able to return home to a normal life, we had been so relieved and happy. We can’t tell you how grateful we are that you came to our aid when we felt like all doors were shut on us. I thought poor people like us would never be able to achieve what you have done for us today. I thank you all for looking so favourably upon us and standing by us throughout these months. We greatly appreciate you for thinking of us like we were your own. May God bless you all.” - Penshan, father
Nitesh's parents were fortunate that their prayers were answered right in time, and that your help arrived before something bad could happen to their little angel. But the bitter truth is that many children affected with rare disorders do not receive the same help. Millions of innocent kids suffer from cruel symptoms such as underdevelopment, weakness, localised pain, etc, due to which their life becomes a living nightmare.
If these little ones do not get treated within a specific period of time, their quality of life suffers, and eventually, they face the risk of death. Funds stand between them and their healthy, bright futures. You can help avoid these complications, by donating to Milaap Kids’ Rare Disease Fund, which will ensure that no child suffering from rare diseases is left behind.
Click here to learn more about how you can make a difference.
