"The first time I saw my son, he was covered in tubes. Now it’s been three weeks since he’s been in the hospital, and as I watch other mothers take their babies home, I wonder when I will get to even hold him. He looks so weak and fragile, I’m afraid that even a slight touch of mine will hurt him. We’ve done everything we can to try and afford his treatment, but it doesn't seem to be enough. I have nowhere else to go and no one to turn to in this new city. I survive on two idlis for the whole day, trying to save every rupee. I eat and sleep in the waiting room and wait for the nurse to call my name so that I can see my son. All I want to do is take him back home." - Sireesha, with tears in her eyes
Sireesha’s baby was born extremely premature with underdeveloped lungs
When Sireesha found out that she was pregnant, she was overjoyed. All her husband, Laxmi Prasanna and she had hoped for was a baby to complete their family. Sireesha was always cautious and made sure to get all the tests done. When Laxmi Prasanna was at work, he would always call her to check on her throughout the day. Nearly one month ago, Sireesha gave birth to her baby boy. However, her baby was born two months before the due date, extremely underweight and with severe difficulty in breathing because of the poor development of his lungs.
Now, every time the baby is given milk, he vomits it instantly. He is now kept under ventilator support. The little one is making progress every day, but he needs to stay in the ICU for a few more weeks to completely recover.
Despite mortgaging their only piece of land, they're struggling to save their baby
Laxmi Prasanna teaches school and college dropouts in his village privately and earns a meagre income of Rs 5000 per month. After knowing about his son’s critical condition, he mortgaged the only piece of land that he owned to meet the expenses of his son’s ICU stay. He even borrowed a sum of 60000 Rs from relatives. Now Laxmi Prasanna and Sireesha have exhausted all the money they had. Laxmi Prasanna can't bear to stay away from his wife and newborn, but he's left with no choice. While Sireesha spends her days in the hospital, miles away, Laxmi Prasanna struggles to find a way to continue their baby's treatment.“We have spent so much that we don’t even have money to afford proper meals. My husband is away working hard each day, but even his little earnings are not enough to meet the huge amount needed for the treatment. ”
How you can help
Sireesha's baby boy was born in the seventh month of her pregnancy. The baby was born extremely underweight and has difficulty in breathing because of which he is kept on ventilator support. While he's making progress every day, he needs intensive care support for a few more weeks. However, Sireesha and Laxmi Prasanna have exhausted all the money they had and are desperately struggling to save their only child.Your contribution can save this newborn
