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"There were no signs and symptoms that could even give us a hint of his cancer. He was playing, going to school, eating everything and very active as well. But around 3 months ago, he came to me at night and told me his tummy is hurting. I gave him an antacid and gently tucked him in the bed with me, hoping tomorrow to be just another normal day. But to my horror, that was the beginning of his cancer spreading inside his body."- Kartik, father
They were struggling to figure out why their son was getting weaker day by day
A young couple, Kartik and Tanushree, had never imagined their only child would be fighting cancer one day. For a month, he was given multiple medicines that would relieve his stomach ache for a little while, but not stop it completely. At this point, Tanushree was getting restless seeing her son feeling weaker and weaker with every passing day."I felt his stomach was hardening and swelling up. I told Kartik but he was thinking I'm just panicking as a mother, as local doctors hardly felt it was concerning. I begged Kartik to take him to a hospital and get him tested because I was not convinced as those medicines kept inducing his loose motions and it had completely drained the life out of my child." - Tanushree, mother
His swollen stomach was an indication of a dangerous cancer
While they were waiting anxiously for the reports, the hospital had informed them of the probability of their child either having tuberculosis or cancer. These heavy words immediately sent chills down their spine because they couldn't grasp how his stomach pain could turn out to be such a serious disease."I was shattered. I blame myself for not listening to Tanushree earlier, because my child wouldn't have to suffer so much. We noticed his stool had traces of blood and that frightened me even further. It felt like this cancer was silently attacking my child when none of us knew, and now that we know it is not sparing us one chance to even slow it down."- Kartik, father
He underwent an urgent surgery for his tumour and was in the ICU
They took him to Chennai for further treatment and the reports terrified them further. Their child has Burkitt's Lymphoma, a highly aggressive B-cell cancer. It was in Chennai that they found out their child has a growing tumour inside his abdomen that was cancerous.
"In just a day of admitting him to the hospital, the doctor rushed him for a surgery. My heart was pounding with fear as they were preparing my son for the surgery and taking him to the operation theatre. All sorts of wrong thoughts were coming to my mind. How would my little baby bear the pain of those painful injections and his abdomen being cut open? My son would have been so scared seeing so many doctors around him and not his Ma-Baba in the operation theatre. I wanted to just hug my son and cry but instead he was lying unconscious in the ICU." - Kartik, father
His government school teacher job will not be enough to continue his son's treatment
In these last three months, their child has gone completely quiet and taken to bed. Despite a surgery, he still needs chemotherapy before this cancer spreads to his lymphatic system. But all this would cost INR 20 lakhs and that is beyond Kartik's capacity, who works as a government school teacher in a small village of Bengal. He put in all the savings in his surgery and has nothing left now to fund for his chemotherapy."I am a science teacher in a government sponsored school in Bankura. I have not gone to the school since October, and I have no idea how long my son's treatment will take here in Chennai. I have exhausted all my leaves, and it is only a matter of time when I will no longer have this job because of my prolonged absence. I just pray to God. I don't need even a penny extra, but only enough so I can start his chemotherapy and save his life." - Kartik, father
Please click here to help Kartik save his 4-year-old from the cancerous tumour growing inside his belly.
Identity of the child is protected in adherence to government guidelines.Registration Number - AAOCM6666MF20229
EIN 20-5139364
