Brilliant 9-Year-Old Girl In Critical State After Her Kidneys Failed, Needs Urgent Help For A Transplant

Little Syeda Rafiya was a brilliant student. She topped her class, year after year. Give her any logical puzzle, and she would solve it within minutes. Her parents were always in awe of her capabilities. She was an extremely responsible child who takes care of her younger brother, Ryan when her parents were not around,  One fateful day last week, she was getting ready to go to school with elder sister Sadikha when she collapsed from breathlessness suddenly. When she was rushed to the hospital, her parents were shocked when told that her vital organs were slowly shutting down slowly due to kidney failure, and that only an urgent kidney transplant, the costs of which are well beyond their means, can save their daughter.

These guilt-ridden parents regret missing the first signs of illness in their little girl

Yasmin and Syed Naved, the distraught parents of Syeda think that they may have missed some subtle hints that she was getting sicker with every passing day. 4 months back, their active 9-year-old had complained of tiredness almost every day. She could not play for 30 minutes without feeling completely exhausted – her unassuming parents believed that it may due to nutritional deficiency and took her to a doctor in their hometown of Bengaluru, who prescribed supplements. But over time, her health issues got only worse – she would cough regularly and could not eat food as she used to earlier. Syed Naved and Yasmin took her to many other doctors, but nobody could ascertain the root of her problems untill she collapsed.


Syeda, when she was healthy and happy

“Looking back, we think we should have fought harder for our daughter – she would not have been in this position if we had taken her to a good hospital in the beginning itself. But money was tight and she didn’t look like she was suffering from any serious disease.This is so unfortunate and unexpected.”-Syed Naved, father, with tears in his eyes.

 Her condition worsened in the last few days, landing her in a critical state in the ICU

After Syeda collapsed from severe breathing difficulty, she was rushed to a good hospital in Bengaluru where she was diagnosed with kidney failure. She had to be moved to the ventilator urgently as her life was in grave danger – not only did the acid levels in her body rise, but her heart and lungs also had significant damage. She had to undergo dialysis urgently as well.


Syeda was her mother's pet

“When she had lost consciousness, and was completely unresponsive for 5 days. I would sit by her side and whisper in her ears, ‘Mumma is always with you’, unable to hold back my tears. Her condition is improving slowly, but if she does not get a transplant soon, I will lose her forever.”-Yasmin, mother of 9-year-old Syeda.

Yasmin can hardly recognize her daughter anymore, begs God to not snatch her away

“Syeda’s face has become so swollen that she is hardly recognizable. She opens her eyes sometimes and makes noises, but the tubes on her face prevent her from talking. When I ask her what’s wrong, tears stream down her face. I know that she is facing discomfort, but as her mother, there is nothing I can do to take her pain away rather than beg God to save her before it is too late. My innocent child was so obedient and focused on her studies – why did this happen to her?”-Yasmin

Her father borrowed from everybody he knows to fund her treatment till now, but is now left with nothing to save his daughter

Syed Naved works in a private company in Bengaluru, earning a modest income that is barely enough to feed and clothe his wife and three children. When Syeda became critical, he borrowed around Rs 1 lakh to get her admitted and pay for two cycles of dialysis. But now, he is left with nothing to fund a third round of dialysis (costing Rs 20,000) – which is so essential to keep her alive.

“Money is the main barrier that is keeping us away from saving Syeda. My wife and I are ready to give her our respective kidneys (depending on whoever is a matching donor), but we simply cannot afford the transplant. I have not been able to go to work for around 10 days now with loss of pay, and have already exhausted the money I borrowed from friends. I have two other children to care for but everything seems to go against me at this moment.”-Syed Naved

How you can help

Kidney failure damaged 9-year-old Syeda’s vital organs, and only a transplant can help her bounce back to life. Her father has exhausted all the money he borrowed for her treatment and is left with nothing to save her. This bright girl can go back to school again if you choose to help her get the kidney transplant that she desperately needs to survive.  

Your kind contribution can save this poor child

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.

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