This Mother Is Begging For Money Outside A Mosque To Save her 15-Year-Old Daughter From Heart Disease

Syeda Gousiya, the youngest daughter of a vegetable seller from Davanagere, was diagnosed with Dilated Cardio Myopathy when she was only 10 years old. This condition, in which the heart's ability to pump blood is decreased, is what Syeda struggles to battle against every single day. A heart transplant is her only chance for survival.

Suffering For 5 Years In Pain

Syeda’s older sister, Jamila, recalls how Syeda often experienced palpitations and difficulty breathing from when she was 10 years old. Unable to understand what was happening, she was suggested to go to a hospital in Mangalore, where she was operated on. Her condition only worsened, thereon.

Syeda was brought to Jayadeva Hospital in Bangalore 6 months ago, where she was advised to get a heart transplant. However, Syeda’s father’s daily wage of Rs. 50, does not even begin to cover the family’s basic needs, let alone her medical bills. Jamila was forced to quit her job two years ago to look after Syeda.

“My brother, who was working, has also fallen sick recently and has been on bed rest ever since. My two younger sisters are studying. My father can’t afford to pay for my sister’s treatment. My mother and I came to Bangalore to be with Syeda, while my father and three siblings must stay back in Davanagere. In such difficult times, we can’t even be together as a family,” she says.

Syeda with her sister Jamila. 

Pleading For Money Outside The Mosque

“My parents and siblings are devastated. We can’t afford to keep her in the hospital any longer. We don’t know what to do, or whom to go to for help. If we don’t find a way to pay for the hospital bills, we will have no choice left.”

While Syeda's mother takes turns to stay in the hospital with her, she also takes turns to stand outside the mosque on Bannerghata Road to plead for money from passer-by’s. With no financial or emotional support from others, she sees no other way to get by right now.

Syeda with her mother.

Syeda Dreams Of Reuniting With Her Family 

Syeda, once a cheerful young girl, is now extremely weak. While her friends continue to go to school and are planning for their future, she spends her time on the hospital bed wondering if she will ever get her old life back. She also misses her father and siblings terribly.

 “Every day she asks me why she isn’t getting better yet and when she will get to go home again. I don’t know what to say to her. She’s so young and had so many dreams, but this disease has taken everything away from her.”

Syeda Gousiya with her parents and siblings.

But Syeda and her family are determined for her to get better and the whole family to be together again. However, this is an uphill battle for them. They not only have to worry about covering the cost of the heart transplant but also the medication she will require for 8 months after that.

How You Can Help

Syeda Gousiya requires an immediate heart transplant. Her father, the only earning member of the family, can’t afford to pay for her treatment. If Syeda is unable to undergo the transplant, her chances of survival are bleak. She also requires rigorous medication post the surgery. The doctors have advised that she get the transplant at the earliest.

Your support can help save her life.
   

Supporting Documents

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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