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4 January was a normal day like any other. Pratiksha had just crossed the 6 month mark in her pregnancy, and had been going about her day as usual. But she was forced to halt what she was doing when, suddenly, fluid began to trickle down her legs. Panic-stricken, she boarded a local train from Raigad all by herself, and headed to her obstetrician’s clinic at a hospital in Panvel.
“At all the appointments I had previously attended, the doctor had given me ample advice and asked me to be extremely careful - and I was! Every step of the way, I had taken utmost care of everything, from my diet to the medicines I consumed. But I don’t know how this happened. When the doctor told me that the fluid in my womb was starting to leak, which was not normal, I was truly terrified. I prayed and prayed for my baby to be alright.” - Pratiksha
She had to undergo an emergency C-section, before it was too late
The doctor had advised Pratiksha to get admitted in the hospital immediately, as it seemed that her amniotic sac had ruptured, causing the fluid to leak. It was a matter of great concern, and she needed to be kept under observation in the ICU, so they could monitor her and the baby’s condition. Pratiksha was quick to inform her husband, Sushant, who rushed to be by her side.“It’s all a blur to me now. I remember getting a phone call from my wife that filled me with dread. I dropped whatever I was doing and left for the hospital immediately. She had been doing quite well, and everything seemed to be fine. But then 5 days later, the doctors suddenly insisted that she needed to undergo an emergency C-section, or we would lose our baby. To say I was afraid, is an understatement. My wife was only 6 months along in her pregnancy, and I didn’t know what was going to happen.” - Sushant, father
Loss of amniotic fluid had put their baby in distress
Pratiksha had lost almost all of the amniotic fluid with the sac rupturing, which put the baby in distress and warranted a early delivery. Her baby boy was born on 9 January, at approximately 10:30 pm, and was immediately transported to the NICU, where he has been in an incubator ever since. He was diagnosed with preterm-birth related complications, which will require prolonged NICU treatment.“I was allowed to see him from afar, after my wife gave birth, and couldn’t stop my tears. He was just a tiny little thing, barely the size of my arm, and connected to so many tubes and wires. Over the last month, we have seen small improvements, but nothing significant. For now, he’s hanging in there, and I can see how hard he is fighting to survive. The doctor said that they were doing all they could, but only time would tell how he recovers.” - Sushant
Only continued treatment can guarantee his survival
The only way to ensure his survival is continued treatment, and he needs to remain in intensive care for at least 50 more days. But Sushant and Pratiksha are now in a fix. Having never anticipated such an emergency, these desperate parents are running helter-skelter, struggling to meet their baby’s treatment expenses.Sushant, a labourer, earns merely INR 400 in daily-wages from doing menial jobs. Though completely beyond his means, he has gone to great lengths to pay off INR 5 lakhs of his baby’s piling medical bills. Now for the rest of the treatment to continue, they need INR 6.5 lakhs more. After putting in every last rupee they had, and selling their valuables, they have nothing left to keep going.
“I’ve spent every second of every day for the past month, being at the hospital. It hasn’t been easy at all watching my child through a glass box, and pleading with the doctors to save him. My wife has been at home since she was asked to remain on bed rest. Every evening, when I return home, she asks me about him and my heart crumbles at the sadness on her face. She’s pining for him and longs to hold him, but she can’t even see him at the moment.” - Sushant
Sushant and Pratiksha wed 2 years ago, and are first-time parents. They were looking forward to starting a family together, not knowing that fate had such despair in the cards for them. Their baby’s life depends on his treatment continuing uninterrupted, but they have no way of affording it anymore.
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Identity if the child is protected in adherence to government guidelines.
