"Thejeshwar has not once had the opportunity to live a normal childhood. He lost his years in fighting this terrible disease over and over again. Now it is back to claim his life, and we are persistent to win this battle. We just need your help. He is a boy. He needs a chance to live."18-year-old Thejeshwar can never remember a moment when he lived as a regular teenage. 7 years ago, he was diagnosed with cancer. Just when he thought life gave him a second chance, reports showed that it had metastasized. Surgery is the only way Thejeshwar can survive this ordeal, and this time his family pleads for help.
Tucked away in a small corner of Mangalore, Thejeshwar lives in a big joint family with parents, two sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins. There is a lot of love in his home and family bonds that run strong. His sister, Amritha Varsha, is in her final year undergraduate program.This story is written from her perspective.
It began with a stomach ache. He would complain of it all the time, and when it got intolerable, we took him to the doctor. X-Ray clearly showed it was a tumor. We are very strict about our diet and everything we do in this house. So this shocked us all, that such a disease could hit even people who choose a healthy lifestyle. Over the years, Thejeshwar has received treatment, and we thought my brother was getting better. He completed schooling and even joined college. Until it started all over again.
He had not attended college in July 2016 even for a week before the symptoms appeared. He had a cough which was painful. Thejeshwar would clutch his chest and cough so bad that sometimes he would throw up. He became so weak that we went back to the doctor. He was diagnosed to have a tumor in his chest, this time near his heart.
A major surgery was performed and excision was done at the end of August. But it did not remove all of the cancerous tissue.
I can't remember a day when my brother has not been in pain. Now, our fear is that he may not have an adult life. This thing is in his stomach and his chest. It feels like it is taking over his body.
The doctor has advised a Laparotomy and Excision of the tumor to treat his condition. Our problem has always been funds. For the first surgery, we had to shell out Rs. 3 Lakhs. We did not have that much. My father is a daily wage laborer. He sells coconuts and gets Rs. 3000/month. Even if he does not contribute to the entire joint family, he has to pay to feed five mouths, and he is quite insistent about educating us all. So, we do not have the kind of money required for a surgery.
We pooled in Rs. 50,000 for the last surgery and a lot of people helped us including an NGO. This time, we have friends and relatives who can together help us pool in Rs. 1 Lakh. The rest of the funds, we do not know how to arrange.
He is only a young boy, right at the precipice of life. He has so much to see, so much to live. We cannot stay by and watch him suffer. He cannot even eat properly because the tumor has been weighing on his insides giving him so much pain even if he touches his chest or stomach.
I want to see my brother make it out of this struggle. Please help us save my brother, by contributing to this surgery.
Your contribution will mean a lot to my entire family.
Supporting Document
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 champion or the medical team.
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