- 9-month-old Shathvika is suffering from spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) Type-1.
- The treatment is ZOLGENSMA, but the cost of this medicine is a whopping 16 Crore.
- As Shathvika’s lung muscles are already weakening, she has been put on BiPAP. And she needs the treatment urgently.
- Her family is relying on your generous donation to save their cute baby.
“My wife and I prayed a lot. We wanted a girl child. Our prayers were answered in the form of Shatvika. But never had I thought that this would happen…”- Saktivel
Who is Shatvika and what happened to her
Shatvika is our only daughter. Among all the kids I’ve seen until now, Shatvika was the strongest. But when she was 4 months old, she was diagnosed with type-1 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). On top of that, we got the shocking news that Type-1 SMA is the most dangerous type of muscle-weakening illness. But by God’s grace, we found a solution to her problem. But it is expensive!
What is Type-1 SMA and Zolgensma
SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) type 1 is the most severe form of SMA, a genetic neuromuscular disorder characterized by loss of motor neurons and progressive muscle wasting/ weakening.
Due to SMA, Shatvika has weak muscles, poor muscle tone, and difficulty in swallowing and breathing, or even controlling their head movements. The truth is little Shathvika cannot even turn!
When she turns 1 in July 2024, she will not be sitting like other children. She will be laying on the bed- unable to move, unable to celebrate. But there is a cure that can give her the life that every little baby deserves- Zolgensma.
Zolgensma is a gene therapy developed by Novartis for the treatment of SMA. It is a one-time infusion therapy designed to replace the function of the defective or missing SMN1 protein, which is responsible for motor neuron function
But the problem is that this cure costs 16 crore rupees.
Why should you help my only girl?
Children her age are on a merry-go-round, but she is on a bi-PAP machine. It hurts me to see my daughter fighting a rare genetic illness every day.
As the sole breadwinner of a middle-class family, I lack the strength to arrange such a huge amount on such short notice.
Your donations can help me hold my daughter once again.
How can you save my daughter?
Shathvika was diagnosed with SMA at Narayana Health Hospital and referred to Dr Ann Agnes Mathew at Bangalore Baptist Hospital for further treatment of SMA.
You can help my daughter by clicking the “donate” button below.
Every amount you donate will help my only daughter move on from the searing pain she is in and lead a normal childhood.
The goal amount of the campaign may be higher than the attached estimates to address and aid the post-hospitalization expenses/contingencies including but not limited to prolonged medication, diagnostics, rehabilitation therapies, and follow-up doctor visits/consultations which vary from disease to disease.