I was a 100 kilometers out in the middle of the sea, fishing, when I found out. The boat's captain had called me into his cabin, saying I was receiving a communication from back home. I knew it had to be an emergency.
"John? John, is that you? It’s me, Sangita. Can you hear me? John, Shaul is... Shaul is sick again.
They’re saying his cancer is back."
– Johnson, Shaul's father
Young Shaul is the pride and joy of his parents, Johnson and Sangita. As a deep-sea fisherman, John had always wanted a better life for his children, and from a young age, Shaul seemed determined to make his father’s dreams come true through his passion for cricket. He played whenever he could, and regularly won trophies in tournaments as well. He used to tell anyone who would listen that he'd play for India one day. It had been an incredible shock for everyone when cancer brought this ambitious young boy to his knees last year.
“It was so unexpected. He had started complaining about an incredible pain in his chest that wouldn’t go away. Within hours it got so bad that he collapsed, unable to breathe. He kept screaming that he was dying, begging us to save him. We had never been more scared in our lives as we rushed him to a hospital. They were able to control his pain, but they couldn’t figure out what had happened. It was nearly a week later that a doctor told us: your son has cancer.” – Sangeeta
The diagnosis had nearly broken the family, emotionally and financially
Shaul’s family spent many sleepless nights and days on an empty stomach, praying and trying to raise the money that his treatment would need. The doctors had said it would cost nearly 20 lakhs for his chemotherapy and related care. After months and months of struggling and multiple contributions from kind strangers, Shaul finally got his treatment and was eventually declared cancer-free. He was excited about getting to play with his team again. But now...
Now Shaul’s cancer is back, and worse
Shaul noticed a few weeks ago that his right testicle was enlarged. The doctors had warned him after his treatment last year to keep an eye out for something like this, as it could be a sign of relapse. The smart boy had remembered this, and immediately alerted his mother, who rushed him for a blood test.“I was so terrified. John was out at sea, so it was just me and Shaul, waiting for the doctor to tell us what he had found. I prayed so hard for it to be nothing but... it wasn’t. The cancer was back, and it was bigger and more dangerous than last time.” – Sangeeta
Shaul needs a Stem Cell Transplant this time, but John can’t even imagine the cost
“They told us he needs chemotherapy for a few months, and then some kind of transplant. The overall expense will be around 40 lakhs! We got inches away from losing him last time, when the cost was just half that amount! I don’t want to lose him. Please, please help me save my son! He wants to play for the country one day, don’t let my being poor stop him from having a long and successful life...” – Johnson
Shaul's life is in your hands now. Please donate as much as you can, and help him get his treatment. Every contribution counts, no matter how small.
