"My Healthy 8-Year-Old Was Paralysed Suddenly Last Year, And

Vedansh was an active footballer for his school team, and now he can’t even move his legs without support. For an active 8-year-old child, to be in this state is no less than living a nightmare. A bizarre case of neurological paralysis rendered him motionless, but he is slowly making progress.

After getting a fever Vedansh suddenly couldn’t move his legs at all

In August 2017, he got what seemed to be an ordinary fever, but it proved to be something much worse when Vedansh complained couldn't move his left leg. He got a viral infection that affected his neurological system and he lost movement in his legs.

“He was perfectly fine before the fever. He was in his school’s football team. At first, I thought he was joking and making excuses. But when I got back home in the afternoon, I saw that he tried to walk a few times and kept falling down.” – Siddharth, Vedansh’s father.

Siddharth immediately took his son to an orthopedic whose words shattered him. The doctor said that Vedansh’s was a case of paralysis.

“The doctor said that this was a case of paralysis. Just hearing the word ‘paralysis’, I completely broke down. It is a terrible fate for an active 8-year-old child. I couldn’t cry in from of my son because I needed to stay strong. But my wife and I were left speechless.” – Siddharth

Vedansh was immediately admitted to the PICU. His motor nerve cells were damaged, so he couldn’t move his limbs. For the first 2 weeks, he couldn’t even turn over from left to right. This was a massive blow to his parents, Siddharth and Karishma. In a flash, their healthy and active 8-year-old son was paralyzed and bedridden.

Vedansh has a little sister, Kashish, who is just 2-years-old. He used to run around and play with her all the time but now can't do that. They still spend a lot of time together, and Kashish is the one who is able to make her brother laugh.

Vedansh and his father, Siddharth

Vedansh is fighting hard

Since the paralysis hit him, Vedansh hasn’t been able to walk, but he is fighting hard. He constantly does all the muscle exercises the physiotherapist has taught him, to strengthen his muscles. He is at a point where he can slowly walk with the support of a walker. He has been through a lot of tests and takes rigorous therapy.

“Physiotherapy helps a lot. His recovery has been slow. Initially when he was unable to walk at all, he hated using a wheelchair. But gradually realised that he can get better only through his will power and since then, he has been fighting his condition bravely. Right now, he’s like a toddler who’s learning to take baby steps. He needs physiotherapy twice a day along with his daily dose of medicines. He’s trying his best to get better.” – Siddharth

Vedansh is a brilliant student and a footballer

Before he fell sick, Vedansh played as a striker in his school’s football team. He loves the sport more than anything and misses being on the field. Getting back to playing football is the biggest factor that motivates him to work hard in order to get better. Not just football, Vedansh is amazing with studies too. He is a class topper and despite being unable to walk, Vedansh tries very hard to keep up with his studies.

Now that he is able to walk using a walker, his parents are thinking of sending him to school again. Spending time with other children his age will help him feel better and happier.

“He loves playing football and is serious about it. He hasn’t been able to go to school or walk for 6 months but he gets notes from school every week and manages to study. He’s a brilliant student and the teachers even decided to promote him to class 4. Recently, he came second in the Mathematics and English Olympiad exams. Nothing has stopped him from pursuing his academic goals.” – Siddharth

Medications and physiotherapy are extremely expensive

Vedansh currently needs intensive physiotherapy, twice every day. He will need those sessions for the next 6 months, to be able to walk again. Unfortunately, there’s no alternative treatment, and physiotherapy sessions alone costs Siddharth around Rs 35,000 per month.

In addition to physiotherapy, every week Vedansh needs an injection which costs around Rs 1 lakh. These expensive injections are inevitable for his recovery. He needs to continue taking them at least for the next 4 months. Since Vedansh was diagnosed, his parents have spent over Rs 18 lakhs towards his treatment. They have spent all their savings and now are out of mean to afford this expensive treatment.

Both Siddharth and Karishma used to hold jobs, but since he fell sick, Karishma has taken a break from work, so that she can look after her ailing son. They have exhausted all their savings and have no idea on how to provide for Vedansh’s much-needed medications and therapy.

How you can help

8-year-old Vedansh, an extremely active child, and a footballer, was struck by a severe neurological disorder that left him unable to walk for the past 6 months. He is slowly recovering but cannot walk without continued physiotherapy and medications. His father is trying hard to meet the financial requirements but he now needs our support.

Your support will help 8-year-old Vedansh walk again

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.

"My Healthy 8-Year-Old Was Paralysed Suddenly Last Year, And We Are Living In A Nightmare Since Then"