Anvidha is one year and nine months old and seems curious about the mic held to her father Vineeth’s face. As Vineeth is explaining his plight to a journalist, seeking help to transport his daughter from his home town in Kerala to a hospital in Hyderabad to undergo chemotherapy, curious little Anvidha tries to hold onto the mic, figuring out what the new toy is.
When Anvidha was two months old, her parents learnt about the tumour growing in her left eye. Since then, on the recommendation of doctors from Kerala, her family has been taking her to a hospital in Hyderabad for the treatment. On March 17 this year, Anvidha underwent the first intra-arterial chemotherapy at the Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad.
The high-end procedure involves the administration of anti-cancer medication directly to the tumour via the ophthalmic artery, thereby limiting the exposure of treatment to other body parts, unlike the common chemotherapy (systemic).
Her second intra-arterial chemotherapy is due on April 7. But with the nationwide lockdown, the family from the small town of Cherthala in Alappuzha district had been worried, not knowing how to take Anvidha to Hyderabad for the next chemotherapy session.
But in a major relief, Health Minister of Kerala KK Shailaja contacted the family, after seeing the news that was first reported by MB Ribin of Mathrubhumi News. The Minister has promised to help the family.
Talking to TNM, Vineeth, an electrician who works as a daily wage labourer, told that if the child cannot be taken to the hospital on the prescribed date, the first chemotherapy would prove ineffective.
"The tumour is growing. If we do not continuously administer the procedure as prescribed by the doctors, the previous procedure will be futile. Total three chemotherapies have to be done," Vineeth told TNM.
One round of chemotherapy costs about Rs 1.8 lakh. The family had raised money for the treatment through various social media campaigns and with the help of some organisations.
"Seeing the news, Shailaja's teacher (the health minister) contacted me and said she is trying to arrange an air ambulance. If that is not possible, the minister said she will arrange for the permission to travel. Seva Bharati people have arranged an ambulance for us. If the air ambulance is not plausible, we can use this ambulance and go by road with the state government’s help," said Vineeth.
With the Health Minister directly intervening, the family is hopeful to see Anvidha play around with her three-year-old sister.