Helpless Kartikey's Life Hangs on Urgent Brain Surgery!

“We’ve never known or heard of someone with this condition. Cerebellar atrophy is a rare neurological disorder, doctors say. It causes a part of the brain to develop abnormally. It is a symptom of ARCA because of which he is rapidly losing nerve cells in his brain. My 15-year-old Kartikey used to be an active, playful boy. At age 4, he recovered from severe diarrhea. We were relieved and expected it to be an isolated incident. But a year later, we noticed something was wrong - he was growing weak and lethargic.

We couldn’t understand why he began losing weight. Why he couldn’t hold anything well anymore. Cups, toys, everything broke. Seeing one thing lead to another, we quickly took Kartikey to the doctor. There they found that the cerebellum, which is a part of the brain that controls balance, posture, and motor coordination - was being attacked by some brain disorder

The medical documents and the doctors call it ‘Autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia.’ We just know it as the disease that caused our healthy, growing son to lose the ability to communicate and walk. To make matters worse, a spinal deformity has led to a hump on his already delicate back. I hate to see my son, sickly and thin like this. He doesn’t even recognize us, he doesn’t know what is hot, what could be cold. Once or twice he even fell off the bed without realizing what happened. He didn’t even cry, just began eating an insect he found off the floor.

That’s the other thing. His only outlet is eating. He will put anything in his mouth. Glass bangles, my medicines… you can’t keep anything lying around ever. He is so completely dependent on us which is why my elder son had to leave his college to look after his young brother. We feel heartbroken at our son sacrificing his future but we’re desperate and there is nothing else we can do. I work as a cook in a few homes and earn Rs. 2000 per month. We can’t afford to lose this extra income at a time when my son’s medicines are only growing costlier. I even try to find and do odd jobs from home. We are already in debt and there are days where there is nothing to eat. Every penny counts.

But my husband is hit the hardest. Day and night he is worried about where to get more money from. He drives an auto we took on rent. But the Rs. 250-350 he earns daily hasn’t been enough either. No one tells you how quickly these medical bills pile up. What we’re most terrified of is Kartikey getting weaker than ever. His seizures have increased to about thrice a day. Watching him shake like that puts my heart in my mouth. It’s so bad that he goes unconscious. I feel like I have aged so much in the last 10 years. It’s a different form of cruelty, to be made to see your son suffer like this.

Which aging parent wants to see their grown up child wearing pampers?! He is 15-years-old but it’s like his brain is making him a child again. Doctors at Sai Ram Charitable Hospital in Kanpur say he can go blind anytime. He needs an urgent brain surgery or the damage could be far worse than losing his eyesight.

My husband works hard to get Kartikey his multivitamins and test after test. He is worried sick, his own health is down in the dumps. “He keeps asking himself, "I am becoming an old man, over 50, how long will I be able to provide for my family?” We do what we can but how do we run our household on a rickshaw driver’s income? Everything is so expensive now. 

Our son needs brain surgery not just to ease his suffering but also to give hope for the future. My son can walk again if he receives complete treatment and care. We’re ready to dedicate the rest of our lives to make sure our boy can stand on his feet long after we are gone.”

Parents Soni and Vijay desperately need your help to save their son. They have very little margin of time to get Kartikey his brain surgery successfully. Each and every bit of contribution can save this family and give them the most precious thing of all. Hope.

Your Donation Is Helping Not 1 But 3 People!

Your donation towards this fundraiser is not only helping Kartikey Gupta recover from Cerebellar Atrophy, but is also helping two more patients in need: 

1. Savita Dipak Tembhare, who has CA Buccal Muscosa and needs further radiation therapy & surgery. 

Just a month ago, Savita was diagnosed with cancer of the buccal mucosa after a small mouth blister. A housewife and mother of two young sons, she never used tobacco and never expected cancer. As the disease worsens, eating and speaking are painful. She hides her suffering to protect her children, while her elder son has quietly taken on responsibilities. Savita now seeks support to fight the cancer and live for her sons’ future.

1. Lirish Igoor has been diagnosed with Cirrhosis With Decompensation, Portal Hypertension Due To Cholestatic Liver Disease & needs a liver transplant worth ₹ 20 lakhs. 

On her third birthday, Lirisha lay in the ICU, battling end-stage Liver Cirrhosis. Doctors say her liver is irreversibly damaged due to bile duct blockage, risking multi-organ failure. A ₹20 lakh liver transplant is her only chance to survive. Her parents have exhausted all savings, sold their gold jewellery, and borrowed heavily, leaving them with no resources. They now depend entirely on public support to save their daughter’s life.

Your donation towards this fundraiser will support both their treatments.