“I pray every day that no one ever has to go through this,” Suresh says as he recalls the last 21 days that have been spent in fear and anticipation. Every visit to the ICU, where his baby boy lies, is a painful and teary one. As Manjula and he stand by his bed, watching on helplessly as tubes and machines do for him what his heart can’t, they wonder when they’ll take their baby back home. The little savings that they brought with them from their hometown Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, has now been depleted.
However, his condition soon worsened. He struggled to breathe and stopped feeding. Their baby was diagnosed with a heart disease in which the veins from the lungs attach to the heart in abnormal positions and cause oxygenated blood to leak into the wrong chamber. He underwent heart surgery in Bangalore for the same. Manjula is devastated, to say the least, "It feels like just yesterday that I was carrying him in my arms, and now I can't even touch him."
With your support, Suresh and Manjula can take their baby back home, healthy and happy.
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.
“I still remember the night we brought him to Bangalore in the ambulance at midnight. It was the most scared my wife and I have ever been. Just thinking about it makes my hands and legs shiver. He was breathing so heavily, we thought he might stop any minute.” – Suresh, father
They thought they took home a healthy baby
Manjula and Suresh’s son is now 2-months-old, and until the first month of his birth, he was like any other newborn, wide-eyed and still learning the world around him. Manjula and Suresh were so happy and thought their baby was healthy. “But he began to cry so often, we didn’t understand if he was uncomfortable or hungry. Even the doctor told us that we had nothing to worry about,” says ManjulaHowever, his condition soon worsened. He struggled to breathe and stopped feeding. Their baby was diagnosed with a heart disease in which the veins from the lungs attach to the heart in abnormal positions and cause oxygenated blood to leak into the wrong chamber. He underwent heart surgery in Bangalore for the same. Manjula is devastated, to say the least, "It feels like just yesterday that I was carrying him in my arms, and now I can't even touch him."
A ray of hope – their baby can now breathe on his own
After weeks of suffering, their baby boy finally started showing signs of improvement. His oxygen support was slowly removed, and he now breathes on his own for most parts of the day. His heart is getting stronger, and he can make it wit continued ICU care. Suresh and Manjula have found a ray of hope, but they’ve have spent over 1 lakh already and his meagre income as a farmer isn’t enough to keep their baby in the ICU for another week.“I’m trying my best to sell the small piece of land we own, but I’m struggling. No one wants to buy it because we barely get any rain. I’ve invested so much in my land, but hardly earned anything last year. If everything goes well, I'm able to save 20,000 in a year, but this year has been especially difficult.” - Suresh
However, his fight isn’t over
Suresh and Manjula dream of the day when their baby will be where he belongs – in the warmth and comfort of their home, playing with his older sister. They dream of a day their house is filled with his laughter, and that day is not far away – as long as he gets the treatment he needs in time. Suresh has exhausted all his resources and now needs your help to keep his son in the ICU for 7 more days.With your support, Suresh and Manjula can take their baby back home, healthy and happy.
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 campaign organizer or the medical team.
