Written by:
Anoushka Pinto
Free Crowdfunding for India | #1 Fundraising website in India | Milaap
UNSHAKABLE FAITH: A CAREGIVER'S STORY
UNSHAKABLE FAITH: A CAREGIVER'S STORY
A Parent's Triumph: My Child’s Victory Over Blood Cancer
A Parent's Triumph: My Child’s Victory Over Blood Cancer
Published on: 13 March, 2023
Published on: 13 March, 2023
When a parent is told that their child has been diagnosed with blood cancer, it can be a devastating experience. It is an incredibly frightening and overwhelming time for any family, especially because it suddenly feels beyond comprehension and you don’t know how to respond to it.
After her baby boy was diagnosed with a blood cancer in 2021, Jyothi found herself navigating an unfamiliar world. Read on to know how she found strength to fight for her son’s life.
When a parent is told that their child has been diagnosed with blood cancer, it can be a devastating experience. It is an incredibly frightening and overwhelming time for any family, especially because it suddenly feels beyond comprehension and you don’t know how to respond to it.
After her baby boy was diagnosed with a blood cancer in 2021, Jyothi found herself navigating an unfamiliar world. Read on to know how she found strength to fight for her son’s life.
An unforeseen diagnosis that shook us to our core
An unforeseen diagnosis that shook us to our core
When he was 6 months old, I noticed some odd patterns in my son. He had been healthy and happy up to that point, but then he stopped gaining any weight, and would refuse to eat or drink anything. I kept a close eye on him and tried to get him the nutrition he needed, but it only seemed to get worse when he was 9 months old.
I tried to ignore the nagging feeling in my gut, telling me that something wasn’t right. But I was watching his health deteriorate day by day and knew I had to get him checked out. Just after his 1st birthday, when his condition worsened, we had some tests done. When the results were in my hand, three words stared back at me – acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
I couldn’t believe it. All the sleepless nights and endless days of worrying, and my worst fears had been confirmed. How could this be happening? How could my child have blood cancer? I couldn’t wrap my head around it, but the reality was staring me in the face. I had to stay strong for my son, but inside I was broken. He was only one year old, and it seemed so unfair that he had to go through this.
When he was 6 months old, I noticed some odd patterns in my son. He had been healthy and happy up to that point, but then he stopped gaining any weight, and would refuse to eat or drink anything. I kept a close eye on him and tried to get him the nutrition he needed, but it only seemed to get worse when he was 9 months old.
I tried to ignore the nagging feeling in my gut, telling me that something wasn’t right. But I was watching his health deteriorate day by day and knew I had to get him checked out. Just after his 1st birthday, when his condition worsened, we had some tests done. When the results were in my hand, three words stared back at me – acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
I couldn’t believe it. All the sleepless nights and endless days of worrying, and my worst fears had been confirmed. How could this be happening? How could my child have blood cancer? I couldn’t wrap my head around it, but the reality was staring me in the face. I had to stay strong for my son, but inside I was broken. He was only one year old, and it seemed so unfair that he had to go through this.
Navigating the unknown journey ahead
Navigating the unknown journey ahead
It was a difficult time for my husband and I, as we tried to come to terms with our son’s diagnosis and the implications it had on our lives. I felt a sense of helplessness and fear that I had never experienced before. Cancer is such a formidable word and is almost always associated with death. Having studied nursing, I knew better. Yet, the first thought that came to my mind was that I was going to lose my baby.
I felt powerless as the doctors explained the treatment plan and the risks involved. All I wanted to do was make sure my son would survive this. We were determined to do whatever we could to give him a fighting chance.
It was a difficult time for my husband and I, as we tried to come to terms with our son’s diagnosis and the implications it had on our lives. I felt a sense of helplessness and fear that I had never experienced before. Cancer is such a formidable word and is almost always associated with death. Having studied nursing, I knew better. Yet, the first thought that came to my mind was that I was going to lose my baby.
I felt powerless as the doctors explained the treatment plan and the risks involved. All I wanted to do was make sure my son would survive this. We were determined to do whatever we could to give him a fighting chance.
Each cycle of chemotherapy was a rollercoaster
Each cycle of chemotherapy was a rollercoaster
Watching my precious baby suffer through the excruciating pain of chemotherapy was more than any mother should have to bear. It hurt me immensely when I would see his face filled with shock and fear of the needles and injections, and when he would cry whilst undergoing treatment. Each day felt like an eternity, and the worry of how he was going to make it through the treatment weighed heavily on me.
My husband, a government employee, had diligently been saving over the years, but all of it was quickly used up in the desperate attempt to keep our child alive. Even his current salary was not spared, with most of it going towards our child’s chemotherapy. The cost of treatment quickly drained our finances and we soon found ourselves left with no resources. I even reached out to our families, but they made no effort to help us. Even my own parents had turned their back on us in our darkest hour.
I had held out hope that chemotherapy would be enough for our baby to fight off this cancer. But after 4 rigorous cycles of treatment, I was being told he needed a bone marrow transplant. It seemed that no matter how hard we tried, the odds were stacked against us. We knew our financial situation would make a bone marrow transplant nearly impossible, yet we couldn’t let our baby suffer any longer.
Watching my precious baby suffer through the excruciating pain of chemotherapy was more than any mother should have to bear. It hurt me immensely when I would see his face filled with shock and fear of the needles and injections, and when he would cry whilst undergoing treatment. Each day felt like an eternity, and the worry of how he was going to make it through the treatment weighed heavily on me.
My husband, a government employee, had diligently been saving over the years, but all of it was quickly used up in the desperate attempt to keep our child alive. Even his current salary was not spared, with most of it going towards our child’s chemotherapy. The cost of treatment quickly drained our finances and we soon found ourselves left with no resources. I even reached out to our families, but they made no effort to help us. Even my own parents had turned their back on us in our darkest hour.
I had held out hope that chemotherapy would be enough for our baby to fight off this cancer. But after 4 rigorous cycles of treatment, I was being told he needed a bone marrow transplant. It seemed that no matter how hard we tried, the odds were stacked against us. We knew our financial situation would make a bone marrow transplant nearly impossible, yet we couldn’t let our baby suffer any longer.
My sister was the only one I could rely on, and she tried to help us to the best of her abilities. But at some point, even she couldn’t continue to support us anymore. My husband and I were so thankful that our son was still with us, but at the same time, we were deeply worried about how we were going to manage the next phase of his treatment. We needed to find a way to make this work, no matter the cost.
My sister was the only one I could rely on, and she tried to help us to the best of her abilities. But at some point, even she couldn’t continue to support us anymore. My husband and I were so thankful that our son was still with us, but at the same time, we were deeply worried about how we were going to manage the next phase of his treatment. We needed to find a way to make this work, no matter the cost.
A miraculous turn of events
A miraculous turn of events
Seeing our plight, my cousin introduced us to Milaap. At first, I was hesitant to reach out to strangers for help. After all, we had never asked for any help our entire lives. But, my cousin assured me that there were people willing to help us in our time of need, and I decided to give it a try. So, with my cousin’s help, we created a fundraiser, filled in all the necessary details, and soon enough, our plea was up on Milaap.
I shared the fundraiser among my friends, and they passed it onto people in their networks, and so on and so forth. We had settled on a goal amount of INR 20 lakhs, as quoted in the estimation provided by the hospital, for our fundraising efforts. Meanwhile, we started looking into other means to arrange funds as well. Trying to arrange for the money was an uphill battle, but I put my trust and faith in God.
Soon, we started to receive donations from the community. Seeing our friends and even strangers reach out to help us was truly overwhelming and it filled us with renewed energy to fight for our son’s life.
Seeing our plight, my cousin introduced us to Milaap. At first, I was hesitant to reach out to strangers for help. After all, we had never asked for any help our entire lives. But, my cousin assured me that there were people willing to help us in our time of need, and I decided to give it a try. So, with my cousin’s help, we created a fundraiser, filled in all the necessary details, and soon enough, our plea was up on Milaap.
I shared the fundraiser among my friends, and they passed it onto people in their networks, and so on and so forth. We had settled on a goal amount of INR 20 lakhs, as quoted in the estimation provided by the hospital, for our fundraising efforts. Meanwhile, we started looking into other means to arrange funds as well. Trying to arrange for the money was an uphill battle, but I put my trust and faith in God.
Soon, we started to receive donations from the community. Seeing our friends and even strangers reach out to help us was truly overwhelming and it filled us with renewed energy to fight for our son’s life.
How Milaap helped
How Milaap helped
I was so grateful to have the Milaap team by our side throughout this difficult journey. They were there to answer all of our questions, no matter how small, and provide us with constant support. They were just a phone call away and I felt comforted, knowing that I could rely on them. They were kind, patient, and understanding – always looking out for our best interests.
I was so grateful to have the Milaap team by our side throughout this difficult journey. They were there to answer all of our questions, no matter how small, and provide us with constant support. They were just a phone call away and I felt comforted, knowing that I could rely on them. They were kind, patient, and understanding – always looking out for our best interests.
With the help of our friends, and the kindness of strangers through the fundraising platform, we were able to put together enough funds for our son’s bone marrow transplant. It was a long, arduous journey to get to this moment of joy. On December 21st, 2021, he underwent the procedure and I felt a wave of relief wash over me as the doctor declared that the bone marrow transplant had been a success.
I have seen first-hand the financial strain caused by medical bills. Thankfully, we came to discover crowdfunding in our time of need, which gave us the opportunity to reach out for help. It has been an incredible blessing for us and I truly believe it can be a helpful solution, a lifeline, for people who are struggling financially and can’t afford treatment.
With the help of our friends, and the kindness of strangers through the fundraising platform, we were able to put together enough funds for our son’s bone marrow transplant. It was a long, arduous journey to get to this moment of joy. On December 21st, 2021, he underwent the procedure and I felt a wave of relief wash over me as the doctor declared that the bone marrow transplant had been a success.
I have seen first-hand the financial strain caused by medical bills. Thankfully, we came to discover crowdfunding in our time of need, which gave us the opportunity to reach out for help. It has been an incredible blessing for us and I truly believe it can be a helpful solution, a lifeline, for people who are struggling financially and can’t afford treatment.
Finding strength through adversity: Parting message
From the moment my child was diagnosed, my world changed forever. Over the past 2 years, I remained strong and did everything in my power to help my child beat this disease. Even though it was a difficult journey, I am proud of him for being so brave throughout his cancer treatment.
To anyone that may be facing a similar situation as me, I want to say – put your faith in God. He has always been there for me to lean on, to guide me and provide me with the courage to stay strong in the face of adversity. I whole-heartedly believe that it was God’s blessings that were bestowed on me and my child through the Milaap donors. My child is now cancer-free, and I live each day of my life grateful to everyone who played a huge part in his miraculous recovery.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I was scared and overwhelmed, and the idea of reaching out for help seemed too daunting. In the end, I am so glad that I took the leap and asked for help because it allowed us to get the care and treatment my child needed in order to get better. We were surrounded by an outpouring of love and support, and I realised that asking for help became the best decision of my life.
Share this story with someone who could benefit from this advice or inspiration, especially if they are going through a similar situation.
Finding strength through adversity: Parting message
From the moment my child was diagnosed, my world changed forever. Over the past 2 years, I remained strong and did everything in my power to help my child beat this disease. Even though it was a difficult journey, I am proud of him for being so brave throughout his cancer treatment.
To anyone that may be facing a similar situation as me, I want to say – put your faith in God. He has always been there for me to lean on, to guide me and provide me with the courage to stay strong in the face of adversity. I whole-heartedly believe that it was God’s blessings that were bestowed on me and my child through the Milaap donors. My child is now cancer-free, and I live each day of my life grateful to everyone who played a huge part in his miraculous recovery.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I was scared and overwhelmed, and the idea of reaching out for help seemed too daunting. In the end, I am so glad that I took the leap and asked for help because it allowed us to get the care and treatment my child needed in order to get better. We were surrounded by an outpouring of love and support, and I realised that asking for help became the best decision of my life.
Share this story with someone who could benefit from this advice or inspiration, especially if they are going through a similar situation.
Need help meeting emergency medical expenses for you or a loved one? You can easily raise funds for medical treatment and get the help you need in times of crisis with Milaap. It is simple, secure and free!
Visit www.milaap.org or call us on +91 9916174848 to get started now.
For more information, write to us at cx@milaap.org.
Need help meeting emergency medical expenses for you or a loved one? You can easily raise funds for medical treatment and get the help you need in times of crisis with Milaap. It is simple, secure and free!
Visit www.milaap.org or call us on +91 9916174848 to get started now.
For more information, write to us at cx@milaap.org.
Written by:
Anoushka Pinto