Ram Aggarwal has been fighting for his daughter’s life for the past eight months. His baby girl Rimjhim was diagnosed with thalassemia in 2014.
Ram hails from Odisha- and runs a grocery shop with his brother. He has been married since 2007 and his first baby- daughter Rimjhim was born in June 2008. His joy knew no bounds. After his second child Abhishek three years later, Ram and his wife thought their family was complete.
All was well until Rimjhim started falling sick
In 2010, Rimjhim was diagnosed with Thalassemia- a blood disorder that required blood transfusions thrice a week. Ram managed to give his daughter blood transfusions until her condition worsened- requiring a stem cell transplant.
Ram took his family from Chandaigarh to Vellore for her treatment
Initially, Ram was getting Rimjhim treated at PGI Chandigarh. After a test, it was determined that he was not a bone marrow match for his daughter's transplant. Doctors then told him that to find an unrelated matched donor. In 2014, Ram came to CMC Vellore hospital with his daughter but was unable to afford the cost of treatment.
In 2016, Ram was determined to save his baby daughter’s life and visited the hospital with his family. They tried to match Rimjhim’s cells with six of her relatives- and the samples were brought from Odisha. The best they could get was a half match- and the surgery could not happen.
After months of searching, a matched donor was found
In January 2017, a match was found for Rimjhim and her stem cell transplant was done on January 24th. After the standard 12 day monitoring period, her platelet count was up- and doctors said the surgery was a success. Ram thought the nightmare was finally over and that his baby girl was safe.
Suddenly Rimjhim's condition started worsening
After her condition worsened, doctors determined that she had GVHD- a side effect of the surgery. Rimjhim’s body cells were battling the stem cell donor cells- and this was a serious issue. Rimjhim’s condition worsened to the point where she was in the ICU.
Seven months later, Rimjhim is still recovering.
“We are praying so much for her. We thought she was cured. But the treatment is never-ending.”
How you can help
Ram has spent the last eight months in the hospital at his daughter’s side. The family has exhausted all means of support for Rimjhim. This is the last leg of Rimjhim’s recovery. Your support could mean that Rimjhim gets to live a long happy life.
Supporting DocumentThe 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 organiser or the medical team.
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