“Every month we come here to Bangalore, and stay until he gets his transfusions. We go back home, knowing that this is not a cure, this is just like a bandaid that just holds him together.”
When Piyush was born, his father let out a scream of joy to celebrate the birth of his first-born son. Six months later, this baby boy looked weak, pale and anemic. 3 years old, Piyush now gets blood transfusions frequently to survive. He has Thalassemia, a severe genetic blood disorder, and he needs a bone marrow transplant as early as possible to escape the ghastly side effects of transfusion, and avoid future complications from the disease.
Dr. Chandrappa, Piyush’s father practices Ayurveda in the small town of Haveri. His wife Dr. Pratibha is also a doctor working on contract. Both these parents do their best to care for their child and Chandrappa’s parents who live with them. Together they earn around Rs. 30,000/month which covers their household expenses, travel, transfusion and other medical expenses for Piyush.
“We never got ourselves tested for Thalassemia before Piyush was born. I think we caught it early because we are doctors, otherwise, we would have been in trouble.”
Chandrappa had a hemoglobin test done, and Piyush’s count was at 4. Worried about his son’s health, this father rushed him to a trusted friend specialized in Peds.
“That’s when we got to know he had Thalassemia. As doctors, we know how this condition affects children. It is easy to rationalize and say it is manageable. But, it is quite difficult for the child. We see him quite normal, playful and enthusiastic all the time. However, he needs round-the-clock care, proper diet, medicines, and a sterile environment. We are able to provide him everything we can as doctors and as parents. He has just started going to school. So, the worry sets in. We cannot protect him all the time so we need a permanent solution.”
Piyush is now a big brother. He watches his younger sister like a hawk and loves her to bits. This child has a long life ahead of him and needs the best care to get him there.
One of the parents is the donor for the transplant, and the cost estimated for this haploidentical bone marrow transplant is Rs. 33 Lakhs. Drs. Chandrappa and Pratibha are able to come up with only part of this amount and need your help with the rest so their son can live a healthy life.
Contribute now to save Piyush.
Supporting Documents
The specifics of this case have been verified by the medical team at the concerned hospital. For any clarification on the treatment or associated costs, contact the campaign organizer or the medical team.
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