“One day last January, she had stopped eating altogether and was crying all day. Nothing we did could help soothe her. Then suddenly her eyes shut and she became unresponsive. We rushed her to the hospital at around 3 am in the morning. Doctors told us that she had a brain swelling; her vitals and blood sugar was very low. We almost lost her that day. But we also learnt a horrible truth – that this same episode can repeat if she does not get a liver transplant soon,”-Omkar, Baby Prisha.
Baby Prisha’s liver is over 80% damaged and she is inching towards complete liver failure with every passing day. The only cure for her condition is an urgent liver transplant – but it costs lakhs of rupees that her family cannot afford.
They believed her stomach was bloating due to gas, but they were terribly wrong
When Shruti gave birth to Prisha last year, she thanked the Gods for her luck as she had always hoped for a little girl. She and her husband Omkar vowed to give her child the best upbringing, despite the fact that their finances were not great. Everything was fine until the baby turned 6 weeks and her eyes started yellowing. A trip to the doctor revealed a liver problem – biliary atresia. The baby even underwent a surgery when she was 2 months old. These parents believed that their baby was cured until her stomach started bloating.
“We initially thought that it was gas and gave her many drops and syrups. Nothing worked. The bloating only got worse and now she has a watermelon-sized belly. When the doctors finally told us that it was due to liver damage, it was already too late,”-Omkar
These parents keep close watch on their child as anything can happen to her now
Now Baby Prisha’s condition is beyond worse. The albumin and plasma levels in her blood dip drastically once in every two weeks and when this happens, she has to be rushed to the hospital. If she does not get injections immediately, she can lose her life.“We look for signs of irritability and weakness. Also when she stops eating, we know that something is up. We take her to the hospital immediately – we have even rented a small flat near the hospital for this purpose,”-Shruti, mother
‘We are middle-class people, how will we afford such an expensive procedure?’
Omkar is the only breadwinner of their 3-member family. He works as an associate in a private company in Pune. The bulk of his income goes towards paying rent and getting groceries. He is not able to save anything. He was able to pay for his baby’s treatment till now by borrowing heavily from friends and relatives. But he cannot borrow such a huge amount required for the transplant and is struggling.
“We have to work hard to get food on our plates. Every day is a struggle for us. We don’t have savings, we only have debts. How will we arrange such a huge amount right in time to save the baby?”-OmkarThis father will be able to save his baby girl if you lend a helping hand. Please support this desperate father in his quest to save his only child
Supporting document
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.
