Time is running out for a three-year-old boy in Nellore. He suffers from a life-threatening disease and although the door to save lies open, his family cannot afford it.
Sri Chakri, from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, was diagnosed with Thalassemia, a-life threatening blood disorder, when he was two months old.
Since he was just a baby, doctors recommended blood transfusions as treatment until he turned three.
On learning of the condition, Chakri’s father Prabhakar abandoned him and his wife Sri Swapna. Ever since, it has been Swapna’s father Venkateshwarlu who has looked after them.
Every month, since his diagnosis, Chakri has received blood transfusions. The cost of one transfusion is 100 times that of Venkateshwarlu’s daily wage of Rs 300.
Now that he is older, doctors have recommended that Chakri undergo a bone marrow transplant at the earliest.
But the cost of the procedure – Rs 15 lakh – is nearly impossible for the family to raise, their finances already stretched with the bearing the expenses of the treatment.
Around this time, hospitals in Nellore urged them to approach the Thalassaemia Welfare Association in Chennai. Eventually they were put in touch with Dr. Revathi Raj, who has been treating Chakri, who referred them to the treatment in Voluntary Health Services Hospital (VHS) in Chennai for free blood transfusion. Now they only had to travel to Chennai for the transfusion.
At the VHS Hospital, they learned that Sai Akhil, Chakri’s one-year-old brother’s bone marrow was a perfect match. His bone marrow has already been preserved at a stem cell bank. “The only barrier that remains, is the funds for the transplant,” Venkateshwarlu said.
“Initially, we approached the local newspapers and news channels for help and we have raised around Rs 32,000 which we are saving for the operation, but due to the frequent traveling we are unable to save anything (from our own earnings),” said Swapna.
The family has also written several letters to the government seeking help for the fund but, didn’t get any response.
Still desperately short of the total cost, Venkateshwarlu has started an online campaign on Milaap seeking donations for the bone marrow transplant of his grandson. Now, the campaign has managed to collect a little over Rs 7 lakh.
Those wanting to contribute can visit: https://milaap.org/fundraisers/save-my-grandson