Hello Folks!
Good news.Its going to be a great start to the new year for us all.
I'm sure , God willing, Its the begining of the end of all troubles for the Sarafdar family .
With the help of a Sai brother , we did manage to get the medicine we really needed.
It has been dispatched from Chennai and we should be receiving it in Pune soon.
Rishis platelet count has also been gradually increasing and now stabilizing, by the good lords Grace .
Our prayers definitely are working and we should keep them on with the same gusto :)
We are trying to organize a tuition class for Rishis sister ,Rujuta , so that she does not feel left out and meets other children who are her age.
Thank you all for everything . Keep the faith! and have a great begining to a brand new year filled with lots of love and light... :)
In love, gratitude and Prayers,Always,
Tina ..
Monday 20 December 2010
Tuesday 14 December 2010
Update 14th Dec_2010
HI Folks!
Rishi is getting better and his platelet count is stabilizing...
He has started to have normal food and go a little in the open too.. specially a little later at night when the pollution is less.
There is something that we all need to try and work upon:
A medicine called, "Trimethoprim 200mg" which he requires to take 2ce a week. The quota that Mr.Prakash had with him is over and now we need more.
We have been searching all over , but in vain. No chemist seems to have it in India.
If any of you , who are abroad or even in India,reading this, please do check with your local chemists , or anyone else you know who could get this for us and do contact me.
Thank you all for your continuous support, which is helping our lil warrior take baby steps towards winning this battle...
Please do keep him in your prayers, always.
In Love, gratitude and Prayer, Always,
Tina
Rishi is getting better and his platelet count is stabilizing...
He has started to have normal food and go a little in the open too.. specially a little later at night when the pollution is less.
There is something that we all need to try and work upon:
A medicine called, "Trimethoprim 200mg" which he requires to take 2ce a week. The quota that Mr.Prakash had with him is over and now we need more.
We have been searching all over , but in vain. No chemist seems to have it in India.
If any of you , who are abroad or even in India,reading this, please do check with your local chemists , or anyone else you know who could get this for us and do contact me.
Thank you all for your continuous support, which is helping our lil warrior take baby steps towards winning this battle...
Please do keep him in your prayers, always.
In Love, gratitude and Prayer, Always,
Tina
Friday 3 December 2010
Update_3rd Dec 2010
HI Folks!
Rishi went for a check up again yesterday. After a lot of ups and downs.. his platelet count showed an increase yesterday. It was a relief to the ears listening to his parents being a little positive about it.
We have managed to get a councilor for the parents . Someone who is a survivor herself . Someone who councils cancer patients and families in Pune , for the Prashanti Cancer care unit.
Mrs and Mr.Sarafdar will be meeting her tomorrow morning , by Gods grace and hopefully by being positive there after win half the battle that way :)
Please keep them all in your prayers always and Thank you once again for everything.
In Love,Gratitude and Prayer, Always,
Tina.
Rishi went for a check up again yesterday. After a lot of ups and downs.. his platelet count showed an increase yesterday. It was a relief to the ears listening to his parents being a little positive about it.
We have managed to get a councilor for the parents . Someone who is a survivor herself . Someone who councils cancer patients and families in Pune , for the Prashanti Cancer care unit.
Mrs and Mr.Sarafdar will be meeting her tomorrow morning , by Gods grace and hopefully by being positive there after win half the battle that way :)
Please keep them all in your prayers always and Thank you once again for everything.
In Love,Gratitude and Prayer, Always,
Tina.
Saturday 27 November 2010
Update_27th November , 2010
Hello Folks!..
Rishi was admitted to hospital for a day. His platelet count has dropped to 7000 which is not great news ; but the docs say that this fluctuation will keep happening for some time.
The next 2 weeks are kind of going to be tough, coz it should not drop even further.
He is being given bottles of blood /platelets which helps temporarily.
He had developed a rash all over his body. Docs suspected GVHD (Graft-versus-host disease), which got us worried .
I did mention to Mr.Prakash that no matter what the docs say , we should apply vibhuti to all the parts that have rash on Rishis body. He did just that and today called and told me all the rash has gone and its not GVHD . :) .. Such is how the good lord works his wonders :)
The status right now is that , Rishi is going to be back home this evening.
One of our Sai brothers had recommended Papaya stalk to increase his platelet count... He has started with that. I'm sure it going to work.
Lets all stay positive. We have told Rishi that he has to attend his exams in school in March and his father has even got him the text books. He is pumped with life at the thought of it! which is good coz he not only needs to stay positive but also believe that he will be well soon enough to even go to school!
Please keep the prayers on .. and once again thank you everyone for all your support.
In Love, gratitude and Prayer, always,
Tina
Rishi was admitted to hospital for a day. His platelet count has dropped to 7000 which is not great news ; but the docs say that this fluctuation will keep happening for some time.
The next 2 weeks are kind of going to be tough, coz it should not drop even further.
He is being given bottles of blood /platelets which helps temporarily.
He had developed a rash all over his body. Docs suspected GVHD (Graft-versus-host disease), which got us worried .
I did mention to Mr.Prakash that no matter what the docs say , we should apply vibhuti to all the parts that have rash on Rishis body. He did just that and today called and told me all the rash has gone and its not GVHD . :) .. Such is how the good lord works his wonders :)
The status right now is that , Rishi is going to be back home this evening.
One of our Sai brothers had recommended Papaya stalk to increase his platelet count... He has started with that. I'm sure it going to work.
Lets all stay positive. We have told Rishi that he has to attend his exams in school in March and his father has even got him the text books. He is pumped with life at the thought of it! which is good coz he not only needs to stay positive but also believe that he will be well soon enough to even go to school!
Please keep the prayers on .. and once again thank you everyone for all your support.
In Love, gratitude and Prayer, always,
Tina
Wednesday 17 November 2010
Update_17th November 2010
HI Everyone!
I've been waiting to hear a little positive from Mr.Prakash to update this space.
Rishi has been in and out of the hospital for various tests.
The status as on now is he was given some blood/platelets again and hence his counts have increased.
We now only hope it does not go down again but stabilizes.
From all the donations we have collected till now , we have been able to help the family to an extent.
We still require a lot of funds to continue to ensure Rishis speedy recovery, being it the healthy living conditions he needs to be in , or the diet he needs to have to build hemoglobin and immunity.
One of our very dear Sai brothers has arranged to help for the transport facility to bring Rishi to and fro from hospital which is needed 2 - 3 times a week , which otherwise costs a bomb! and is very difficult to afford.May the good lord bless this doner.
We are trying various ways in which we could help this child win this.
If anyone has any suggestions ,on anything .. like the diet or anyone who can help with anything else also, please do feel free to comment.
Thank you all for your continuous support, please keep the prayers on . These are very testing times for this family and all of us and prayer and positivity will help us all win this!
In Love,gratitude and prayer, always,
Tina.
I've been waiting to hear a little positive from Mr.Prakash to update this space.
Rishi has been in and out of the hospital for various tests.
The status as on now is he was given some blood/platelets again and hence his counts have increased.
We now only hope it does not go down again but stabilizes.
From all the donations we have collected till now , we have been able to help the family to an extent.
We still require a lot of funds to continue to ensure Rishis speedy recovery, being it the healthy living conditions he needs to be in , or the diet he needs to have to build hemoglobin and immunity.
One of our very dear Sai brothers has arranged to help for the transport facility to bring Rishi to and fro from hospital which is needed 2 - 3 times a week , which otherwise costs a bomb! and is very difficult to afford.May the good lord bless this doner.
We are trying various ways in which we could help this child win this.
If anyone has any suggestions ,on anything .. like the diet or anyone who can help with anything else also, please do feel free to comment.
Thank you all for your continuous support, please keep the prayers on . These are very testing times for this family and all of us and prayer and positivity will help us all win this!
In Love,gratitude and prayer, always,
Tina.
Monday 8 November 2010
Update _9th Nov 2010
Hi Folks!
Not great news.
Rishi has been admitted back into hospital.
His platelet count has further decreased.
The doctors say his bone marrow needs to be tested for relapse.
We will know the reports in a day or 2.
Will keep you all posted.
Our prayers can help this child.
Please , please, continue praying for him and I am sure by the grace of the good lord he will be fine.
Thank you all..
In love, gratitude & Prayer, always,
Tina.
Not great news.
Rishi has been admitted back into hospital.
His platelet count has further decreased.
The doctors say his bone marrow needs to be tested for relapse.
We will know the reports in a day or 2.
Will keep you all posted.
Our prayers can help this child.
Please , please, continue praying for him and I am sure by the grace of the good lord he will be fine.
Thank you all..
In love, gratitude & Prayer, always,
Tina.
Tuesday 2 November 2010
Update/Appeal November 2nd 2010
Hi all,
We visited Rishi today. His parents, sister and grandmother were all at home. Recent reports of Rishi were stable though not very positive. His platelets count has gone low than expected. His medication has been altered accordingly.
Rishi has a sterile room dedicated for himself out of the 2 room house the family lives in. Rishi needs to visit Sahyadri hospital twice a week - Mondays and Thursdays. On an easy count his father ends up spending about 8K INR on every trip he makes to the hospital. This includes the expenses for tests which are conducted on Rishi and the transport charges.
The transport is also organized in a packed, clean vehicle.
Having given you all the status from my side let me come back to the purpose of this post. We now have the file maintained and organized chronologically by Rishi's father of all bills
and corresponding receipts. Since Rishi's father could not gather funds all at once he has made the payments in very small amounts as and when he could collect.
We are amazed, shocked and very very touched that in such challenging times as well his father has kept his records clean.
The file contains over 500 receipts with varying amounts with as low as Rs 500 to max Rs 2 lacs. The totals of course add up to our calculations. We could not scan all the receipts.
We have picked out receipts which are significant in amounts and also attached the copy of his bank loan.
Rishi's father still has outgoings of about Rs 10 lacs. All medical expenses so far have been covered except for medicines which are not available in hospital stores and which need to be imported. It has been very humbling to get that file from Prakashji and somewhere it did not feel right to demand records from him given the circumstances.
We hereby appeal and trust that the documents we produce authenticate our efforts in gathering funds to aid Rishi's family.
Forgive my repetition,but , Rishi's case was one of the few curable cases of bone marrow / blood cancer. He underwent operation in October 2010 and is still undergoing post-chemo/transplant recovery.
Let's keep Rishi & his family in our prayers as always.
Thank you..
In Love,Gratitude & Prayer always,
Sai ram
Tina
PS - scanned copies of the receipts :
We visited Rishi today. His parents, sister and grandmother were all at home. Recent reports of Rishi were stable though not very positive. His platelets count has gone low than expected. His medication has been altered accordingly.
Rishi has a sterile room dedicated for himself out of the 2 room house the family lives in. Rishi needs to visit Sahyadri hospital twice a week - Mondays and Thursdays. On an easy count his father ends up spending about 8K INR on every trip he makes to the hospital. This includes the expenses for tests which are conducted on Rishi and the transport charges.
The transport is also organized in a packed, clean vehicle.
Having given you all the status from my side let me come back to the purpose of this post. We now have the file maintained and organized chronologically by Rishi's father of all bills
and corresponding receipts. Since Rishi's father could not gather funds all at once he has made the payments in very small amounts as and when he could collect.
We are amazed, shocked and very very touched that in such challenging times as well his father has kept his records clean.
The file contains over 500 receipts with varying amounts with as low as Rs 500 to max Rs 2 lacs. The totals of course add up to our calculations. We could not scan all the receipts.
We have picked out receipts which are significant in amounts and also attached the copy of his bank loan.
Rishi's father still has outgoings of about Rs 10 lacs. All medical expenses so far have been covered except for medicines which are not available in hospital stores and which need to be imported. It has been very humbling to get that file from Prakashji and somewhere it did not feel right to demand records from him given the circumstances.
We hereby appeal and trust that the documents we produce authenticate our efforts in gathering funds to aid Rishi's family.
Forgive my repetition,but , Rishi's case was one of the few curable cases of bone marrow / blood cancer. He underwent operation in October 2010 and is still undergoing post-chemo/transplant recovery.
Let's keep Rishi & his family in our prayers as always.
Thank you..
In Love,Gratitude & Prayer always,
Sai ram
Tina
PS - scanned copies of the receipts :
Monday 1 November 2010
Update_2nd November 2010
Just spoke to Mr.Prakash.
Not great news.
Rishis counts have suddenly dropped, by 50% .
Even the doctors are surprised as he was doing very well till now.
They have sent his blood to Blore again , to get tested and we will know the exact status in 3 - 4 days.
Will keep you all posted.
Please, Please, continue the prayers , they are very needed at this point in time and always.
Thank you.
In love,gratitude and Prayers, always,
Tina
Not great news.
Rishis counts have suddenly dropped, by 50% .
Even the doctors are surprised as he was doing very well till now.
They have sent his blood to Blore again , to get tested and we will know the exact status in 3 - 4 days.
Will keep you all posted.
Please, Please, continue the prayers , they are very needed at this point in time and always.
Thank you.
In love,gratitude and Prayers, always,
Tina
Monday 25 October 2010
An Appeal.. 25th October 2010
Hi Everyone!
My husband and I visited Rishis home yesterday to see how the progress of his health is going.
I could not get any pictures coz at home as well he is in a sterile room , where only his mother is allowed to go, not even Mr.Prakash. He has an attached washroom there itself and watches television all day. Food is given to him inside .
We had a long chat with Mr.Prakash about all the expenses that have happened till date and are going to happen furthermore.
He did mention that till now , the debt that is on him is nearly to the tune of 15 Lkahs!
This man earns just 13 thousand per month from the job that he does. He has a 5 member family, including himself.
He has a younger daughter who goes to school (grade 5) , Rishi at the moment is obviously on a break from school.
Rishis medication per month is nothing less than 20- 25 thousand as they are imported medicines and are not sold in the hospital.
Rishis treatment/follow ups will gpo on for another year minimum.
At the least ,We now need to help this family , with the following :
*/ Payment of the family’s obligations (loans) [including the one taken to pay the final hospital bill] which is approximately 15 lakhs
*/ The cost associated with Rishi’s monthly maintenance i.e. ensuring he gets a good diet, sterile living conditions and his transport to the hospital (considerably far from his house).
*/ The cost of the medicines which are not being covered by the hospital. This is quite an amount approx 20-25k monthly.
*/ Making sure Rutuja does not suffer or is at a loss for basic necessities in the bargain.
PS- Yesterday, their mother mentioned that Rutuja is defnitely feeling neglected and has even questioned them , "Mummy when will life be happy and normal again" ...
That line touched not only my heart , but my soul.
This is an appeal to all of you , to please please spread the word and try and collect as much funds as possible to help this family.
Now that we have taken these few steps, lets all go the full 9 yards and do whatever it is in our capacity to help...
Prayers definitely need to go on...
Thank you for everything..
In love,gratitude and prayer, always,
Tina
PS- we have all the bills and reports needed for this from the hospital .
My husband and I visited Rishis home yesterday to see how the progress of his health is going.
I could not get any pictures coz at home as well he is in a sterile room , where only his mother is allowed to go, not even Mr.Prakash. He has an attached washroom there itself and watches television all day. Food is given to him inside .
We had a long chat with Mr.Prakash about all the expenses that have happened till date and are going to happen furthermore.
He did mention that till now , the debt that is on him is nearly to the tune of 15 Lkahs!
This man earns just 13 thousand per month from the job that he does. He has a 5 member family, including himself.
He has a younger daughter who goes to school (grade 5) , Rishi at the moment is obviously on a break from school.
Rishis medication per month is nothing less than 20- 25 thousand as they are imported medicines and are not sold in the hospital.
Rishis treatment/follow ups will gpo on for another year minimum.
At the least ,We now need to help this family , with the following :
*/ Payment of the family’s obligations (loans) [including the one taken to pay the final hospital bill] which is approximately 15 lakhs
*/ The cost associated with Rishi’s monthly maintenance i.e. ensuring he gets a good diet, sterile living conditions and his transport to the hospital (considerably far from his house).
*/ The cost of the medicines which are not being covered by the hospital. This is quite an amount approx 20-25k monthly.
*/ Making sure Rutuja does not suffer or is at a loss for basic necessities in the bargain.
PS- Yesterday, their mother mentioned that Rutuja is defnitely feeling neglected and has even questioned them , "Mummy when will life be happy and normal again" ...
That line touched not only my heart , but my soul.
This is an appeal to all of you , to please please spread the word and try and collect as much funds as possible to help this family.
Now that we have taken these few steps, lets all go the full 9 yards and do whatever it is in our capacity to help...
Prayers definitely need to go on...
Thank you for everything..
In love,gratitude and prayer, always,
Tina
PS- we have all the bills and reports needed for this from the hospital .
Thursday 21 October 2010
Update_22nd October 2010
I feel so happy to write this to all of you. This is by far the best day :)
Rishi was discharged yesterday. Everything went off smoothly by the good Lords grace.
He is clear by 99.2% :)
He reached home at 8:00 pm last night.
I spoke to Mr.Prakash this morning , and forgive me for repeating myself, but he was sounding very very relieved and very very happy :) God bless them all, always.
Rishi had dinner at home last night after very long. He slept well and peacefully :)
This morning he woke up early , showered and was watching Tv and having breakfast when i spoke with Mr.Prakash.:)
I will try and go see him this weekend and get more pics for you all :).Clearer ones :) as now he is not in the sterile room or hospital so i can merrily click away :)
Lets all continue the prayers that he continues to be well and improves on a daily basis.
His post discharge treatment will go on for nearly a year more which will also cost approximately a lakh and a half.
Just a note for those of you who need the receipts - we have them now. Will be posting them soon.
For the ones who are in Pune, pls let me or Mr.Ramdas know .Thank you once again for everything, you all :)
Lots of Love and Light,
In Prayer, love and gratitude, always,
Tina.
Rishi was discharged yesterday. Everything went off smoothly by the good Lords grace.
He is clear by 99.2% :)
He reached home at 8:00 pm last night.
I spoke to Mr.Prakash this morning , and forgive me for repeating myself, but he was sounding very very relieved and very very happy :) God bless them all, always.
Rishi had dinner at home last night after very long. He slept well and peacefully :)
This morning he woke up early , showered and was watching Tv and having breakfast when i spoke with Mr.Prakash.:)
I will try and go see him this weekend and get more pics for you all :).Clearer ones :) as now he is not in the sterile room or hospital so i can merrily click away :)
Lets all continue the prayers that he continues to be well and improves on a daily basis.
His post discharge treatment will go on for nearly a year more which will also cost approximately a lakh and a half.
Just a note for those of you who need the receipts - we have them now. Will be posting them soon.
For the ones who are in Pune, pls let me or Mr.Ramdas know .Thank you once again for everything, you all :)
Lots of Love and Light,
In Prayer, love and gratitude, always,
Tina.
Tuesday 19 October 2010
Great News Folks! :)
Our Prayers are definitely working :)
I am soo soo happy! :)
Rishi is getting discharged from hospital tomorrow - THURSDAY :)
I just spoke to Mr.Prakash. There was definitely a relief in his voice. God Bless them all.
He said the report from Blore is here and Rishi has accepted Rutujas marrow , 96% , the rest 4% will be good in 4 - 5 days, docs say!
This is by far the best news in the last few months.
Our Little warrior has nearly won his battle :)
The docs also mentioned that this process of acceptance and healing takes almost 6 months for everyone , but in Rishis case, don't we all know who is behind this miracle :)
Mr.Prakash will be sending us a scanned copy of all the details which the doctor will give him ,along with the medication and expenses which will be needed post discharge, soon.
Till then , we definitely need to keep our prayers on for this family and help them win this verrryy soon! :)
Thank you all for everything! God Bless you all!
Sairam. :)
In love, gratitude and Prayer, always
Tina.
I am soo soo happy! :)
Rishi is getting discharged from hospital tomorrow - THURSDAY :)
I just spoke to Mr.Prakash. There was definitely a relief in his voice. God Bless them all.
He said the report from Blore is here and Rishi has accepted Rutujas marrow , 96% , the rest 4% will be good in 4 - 5 days, docs say!
This is by far the best news in the last few months.
Our Little warrior has nearly won his battle :)
The docs also mentioned that this process of acceptance and healing takes almost 6 months for everyone , but in Rishis case, don't we all know who is behind this miracle :)
Mr.Prakash will be sending us a scanned copy of all the details which the doctor will give him ,along with the medication and expenses which will be needed post discharge, soon.
Till then , we definitely need to keep our prayers on for this family and help them win this verrryy soon! :)
Thank you all for everything! God Bless you all!
Sairam. :)
In love, gratitude and Prayer, always
Tina.
Sunday 17 October 2010
Update_17th October 2010.
Good news folks!
Just after a few minutes of writing the previous blog post, Mr.Prakash called in.
For the first time i heard him SO happy.
Rishis counts have more or less come to normal.. his WBC, platelet and Hemoglobin count.
They are shifting him out of the sterile room this afternoon. He mentioned that even the doctor was very happy and seeing that he has confidence our little man is definitely winning this battle and going home soon.
This is all the good lords work, our prayers are definitely being heard and are working so please please keep them on.
Thank u sooo much everyone for everything :)
I cant stop thanking God :)
May he bless everyone and be with everyone always, specially Rishi and his family.
Mr.Prakash has wished everyone a very happy Dusshera and thanked everyone too. :)
Happy Dusshera to each one of you!:)
In love,gratitude and prayer, always,
Tina.
Just after a few minutes of writing the previous blog post, Mr.Prakash called in.
For the first time i heard him SO happy.
Rishis counts have more or less come to normal.. his WBC, platelet and Hemoglobin count.
They are shifting him out of the sterile room this afternoon. He mentioned that even the doctor was very happy and seeing that he has confidence our little man is definitely winning this battle and going home soon.
This is all the good lords work, our prayers are definitely being heard and are working so please please keep them on.
Thank u sooo much everyone for everything :)
I cant stop thanking God :)
May he bless everyone and be with everyone always, specially Rishi and his family.
Mr.Prakash has wished everyone a very happy Dusshera and thanked everyone too. :)
Happy Dusshera to each one of you!:)
In love,gratitude and prayer, always,
Tina.
Saturday 16 October 2010
Update_17th October 2010
HI All,
As of now Rishi is stable.He is even eating and enjoying watching his favourite game , cricket on television.
His blood will go to Blore to test for Cancer in another 2 days.
Please let us all pray verryy hard that all is ok in that report.
His platelet count is still low.
The doctors say these fluctuations keep happening.. But i still think we need to keep the prayers on.
Will keep you all posted once i know more.
Thank you for everything.
In love, gratitude and prayer, always,
Tina.
As of now Rishi is stable.He is even eating and enjoying watching his favourite game , cricket on television.
His blood will go to Blore to test for Cancer in another 2 days.
Please let us all pray verryy hard that all is ok in that report.
His platelet count is still low.
The doctors say these fluctuations keep happening.. But i still think we need to keep the prayers on.
Will keep you all posted once i know more.
Thank you for everything.
In love, gratitude and prayer, always,
Tina.
Thursday 14 October 2010
Update_14th October 2010
Hi Everyone,
Mr Prakash just called a while ago.
Rishis platelet count is still low. He needs some blood .
Mr. Prakash has given his blood which has now gone for filtration, after which, it will be given to Rishi.
The doctors say this happens normally. Nothing much to worry about.
But i just think and feel , all of us need to pray harder .
Will keep you all updated on what happens next.
In love,gratitude and prayer,always
Tina
Mr Prakash just called a while ago.
Rishis platelet count is still low. He needs some blood .
Mr. Prakash has given his blood which has now gone for filtration, after which, it will be given to Rishi.
The doctors say this happens normally. Nothing much to worry about.
But i just think and feel , all of us need to pray harder .
Will keep you all updated on what happens next.
In love,gratitude and prayer,always
Tina
Monday 11 October 2010
Update _12th Oct 2010
HI,
Just spoke to Mr Prakash.
Rishis blood/platele count has gone low; but the docs say this fluctuation happens for sometime.
Nothing major to worry about ; but i'd say .. nothing to stop praying about.
Please, Please keep the prayers on and lets see Rishi out of there real soon.
They are giving him one bag of blood today ; as i write this, and it will be tested again tomorrow to monitor the progress.
Can't thank everyone enough for the support in cash and kind. Please keep the word going.
In love,gratitude and prayer, always,
Tina.
Just spoke to Mr Prakash.
Rishis blood/platele count has gone low; but the docs say this fluctuation happens for sometime.
Nothing major to worry about ; but i'd say .. nothing to stop praying about.
Please, Please keep the prayers on and lets see Rishi out of there real soon.
They are giving him one bag of blood today ; as i write this, and it will be tested again tomorrow to monitor the progress.
Can't thank everyone enough for the support in cash and kind. Please keep the word going.
In love,gratitude and prayer, always,
Tina.
Sunday 10 October 2010
Update _10/10/10
Hi Everyone ,
Last evening was a very fulfilling one.
My husband and I went to meet our little warrior ; Rishi and his father, Mr.Prakash.
Rishi is quite stable by the grace of God.
Mr. Prakash mentioned that he believes this is a miracle of sorts.
Every person who undergoes what Rishi has gone through has major side effects/ reactions after the treatment.
It is a very testing and challenging time;in most cases, its as major as the failur of the liver, kidney etc; but our little man , Rishi, touch wood , by HIS grace , is fit and fine.. except for a few mouth ulcers as mentioned earlier.
Mr. Prakash could not stop thanking us.
We were very humbled and told him this is not us but God working through us. We are mere instruments in his hands.
He introduced us to a fried of his , Mr. James , who he said has been with him since some time now. He has been a pillar of strength to Mr Prakash emotionally.
He was also one of the people who helped him shift to Sahayadri hospital , which definitely deserves a mention , Dr.Apte has been fantastic with Rishi and a BIG Thank you to him too,as without him this would not have been possible.
Mr James narrated to us how he also feels its all a miracle , as Rutuja who is a little girl had the patience to be on that drip while donating her marrow for Rishi.
She is like any normal child who is jumping around all the time full of energy, but that day she was overtaken by a divine power. She lay there still and patiently and did not even once say she wanted to get up or even visit the washroom.
Mr. James noticed something in that room that day.
A small "literature" (as he put it) by Sathya Sai Baba . :) and was convinced... it was HE who is behind the scenes here and repeatedly thanked the good lord for all his blessings.
Also a special thank you to all those who have made it possible to give this child a new life.
They spoke about how when Rishi grows up they hope and pray he also helps children/people with new lives and realizes what he has gone through too.
Rishis blood will be tested again today ; and then if all is well he will be shifted to a special room. He will be there for sometime , after which he will be under observation again for sometime. He might need some blood from his parents if his platelet count is less.
After he gets discharged, hopefully 3 weeks from now, he would have to visit the hospital daily for regular check ups.This will be then reduced to once in 3 days , then once in a week, to once in a month.
Slowly , but steadily, our little warrior will win this battle! :)
Below is a video , where Mr Prakash talks about how he wants to thank god for everything and how he also thinks this is a miracle.
Also below , are 2 pics of Rishi which i could click from outside the sterile room as we were not allowed inside.
Thank you to everyone for everything. We are still collecting funds to help this family. Please do pass on the word and contact us for any assistance needed.
In love, gratitude and prayer, always,
Tina.
Sairam.
OR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1rtOqVbJwE
Last evening was a very fulfilling one.
My husband and I went to meet our little warrior ; Rishi and his father, Mr.Prakash.
Rishi is quite stable by the grace of God.
Mr. Prakash mentioned that he believes this is a miracle of sorts.
Every person who undergoes what Rishi has gone through has major side effects/ reactions after the treatment.
It is a very testing and challenging time;in most cases, its as major as the failur of the liver, kidney etc; but our little man , Rishi, touch wood , by HIS grace , is fit and fine.. except for a few mouth ulcers as mentioned earlier.
Mr. Prakash could not stop thanking us.
We were very humbled and told him this is not us but God working through us. We are mere instruments in his hands.
He introduced us to a fried of his , Mr. James , who he said has been with him since some time now. He has been a pillar of strength to Mr Prakash emotionally.
He was also one of the people who helped him shift to Sahayadri hospital , which definitely deserves a mention , Dr.Apte has been fantastic with Rishi and a BIG Thank you to him too,as without him this would not have been possible.
Mr James narrated to us how he also feels its all a miracle , as Rutuja who is a little girl had the patience to be on that drip while donating her marrow for Rishi.
She is like any normal child who is jumping around all the time full of energy, but that day she was overtaken by a divine power. She lay there still and patiently and did not even once say she wanted to get up or even visit the washroom.
Mr. James noticed something in that room that day.
A small "literature" (as he put it) by Sathya Sai Baba . :) and was convinced... it was HE who is behind the scenes here and repeatedly thanked the good lord for all his blessings.
Also a special thank you to all those who have made it possible to give this child a new life.
They spoke about how when Rishi grows up they hope and pray he also helps children/people with new lives and realizes what he has gone through too.
Rishis blood will be tested again today ; and then if all is well he will be shifted to a special room. He will be there for sometime , after which he will be under observation again for sometime. He might need some blood from his parents if his platelet count is less.
After he gets discharged, hopefully 3 weeks from now, he would have to visit the hospital daily for regular check ups.This will be then reduced to once in 3 days , then once in a week, to once in a month.
Slowly , but steadily, our little warrior will win this battle! :)
Below is a video , where Mr Prakash talks about how he wants to thank god for everything and how he also thinks this is a miracle.
Also below , are 2 pics of Rishi which i could click from outside the sterile room as we were not allowed inside.
Thank you to everyone for everything. We are still collecting funds to help this family. Please do pass on the word and contact us for any assistance needed.
In love, gratitude and prayer, always,
Tina.
Sairam.
OR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1rtOqVbJwE
Friday 8 October 2010
Update _October 9th 2010
HI All,
Mr. Prakash just called in.
Rishi is coping well. His blood count has increased, by the grace of the good lord.
He has ulcers in the mouth as a side effect of the treatment as of now , but the docs say thats nothing much to worry about.
He will be kept under observation for some more time , and as mentioned earlier, his blood will be tested again soon.
Please keep the prayers on and spread the word so that we get more and more funds coming in.
A very big thank you to everyone who has contributed in cash as well as prayers, without which we would not be on the path where we are.
In love, gratitude and prayers,always,
Tina.
Mr. Prakash just called in.
Rishi is coping well. His blood count has increased, by the grace of the good lord.
He has ulcers in the mouth as a side effect of the treatment as of now , but the docs say thats nothing much to worry about.
He will be kept under observation for some more time , and as mentioned earlier, his blood will be tested again soon.
Please keep the prayers on and spread the word so that we get more and more funds coming in.
A very big thank you to everyone who has contributed in cash as well as prayers, without which we would not be on the path where we are.
In love, gratitude and prayers,always,
Tina.
Wednesday 6 October 2010
Update 7th October 2010
Hi!
Rutuja will start school tomorrow :)
Rishi is doing fine as of now. The doctors say , we will see reactions only after the 7th day .
His blood will be tested after the 7th day too and that's when we will know how well he has accepted the transfusion or otherwise.
He will also need some more blood which his parents will donate then.
Will update as and when i get to know more.
Needless to say, please keep the prayers on , we are almost there... :)
In love, gratitude and prayers, always,
Tina
Rutuja will start school tomorrow :)
Rishi is doing fine as of now. The doctors say , we will see reactions only after the 7th day .
His blood will be tested after the 7th day too and that's when we will know how well he has accepted the transfusion or otherwise.
He will also need some more blood which his parents will donate then.
Will update as and when i get to know more.
Needless to say, please keep the prayers on , we are almost there... :)
In love, gratitude and prayers, always,
Tina
Tuesday 5 October 2010
Update 5th Oct 2010
HI!
Rutuja (Rishis sister) is back home and doing well by Gods grace. She has some minimal medication given to her.
Rishis condition in the hospital is also stable by Gods grace. Lets all wish him a speedy recovery and hope he responds well.
Keep the faith! Keep the prayers on! :)
In love, gratitude and Prayer, always,
Tina
Rutuja (Rishis sister) is back home and doing well by Gods grace. She has some minimal medication given to her.
Rishis condition in the hospital is also stable by Gods grace. Lets all wish him a speedy recovery and hope he responds well.
Keep the faith! Keep the prayers on! :)
In love, gratitude and Prayer, always,
Tina
Monday 4 October 2010
Transfusion done_4th October 2010
Hello Everyone,
The transfusion is finally done. It started at 9:00 am this morning and got done at 7:00 pm this evening! Yes! That long.
Now , we have to just wait and watch as to how Rishi responds to it. The doctor has mentioned that there will be side effects. Lets only pray and hope they are not severe.
His sister is doing fine by the good lords grace.
I will keep this space posted as and when i get any kind of news.
We still need to collect around 50 K for this. Everyone , reading this, please pass the message on.
Thank you for all your support and needless to say , please keep the prayers on.
In love, gratitude and Prayer, always,
Tina.
The transfusion is finally done. It started at 9:00 am this morning and got done at 7:00 pm this evening! Yes! That long.
Now , we have to just wait and watch as to how Rishi responds to it. The doctor has mentioned that there will be side effects. Lets only pray and hope they are not severe.
His sister is doing fine by the good lords grace.
I will keep this space posted as and when i get any kind of news.
We still need to collect around 50 K for this. Everyone , reading this, please pass the message on.
Thank you for all your support and needless to say , please keep the prayers on.
In love, gratitude and Prayer, always,
Tina.
Sunday 3 October 2010
Transfusion tomorrow_update 3rd Oct 2010
Hello Everyone!
THE DAY is here!
Rishi and his sister both are in the hospital.
The transfusion will take place tomorrow morning,starting 7:00 am.
Mr Prakash sounded very tense. Please do pray that the good lord give him and the family all the strength they need in these tough times.
I personally do believe , and i am sure most of you will agree, "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it" .. and that's what I tried to explain to Mr Prakash to try and give him some strength.
The transfusion takes several hours (7-8) , he said. Rishis sister will take a day to recover from it.About Rishi he said he will know once the transfusion is done and is successful.
It is a humble request to each one of you reading this, please, please please pray that Rishi wins this battle...He is a strong boy and deserves a long health life.I am so positive he will come through this :)
Thank you for all your support and please do keep the prayers on.
In love, gratitude and prayer always,
Tina.
THE DAY is here!
Rishi and his sister both are in the hospital.
The transfusion will take place tomorrow morning,starting 7:00 am.
Mr Prakash sounded very tense. Please do pray that the good lord give him and the family all the strength they need in these tough times.
I personally do believe , and i am sure most of you will agree, "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it" .. and that's what I tried to explain to Mr Prakash to try and give him some strength.
The transfusion takes several hours (7-8) , he said. Rishis sister will take a day to recover from it.About Rishi he said he will know once the transfusion is done and is successful.
It is a humble request to each one of you reading this, please, please please pray that Rishi wins this battle...He is a strong boy and deserves a long health life.I am so positive he will come through this :)
Thank you for all your support and please do keep the prayers on.
In love, gratitude and prayer always,
Tina.
Thursday 30 September 2010
Update _1st Ocober 2010_10:00 am
Hello everyone,
Just spoke to Mr Prakash.
Rishi is in hospital. Chemo is on. He is coping well.
His sister will get admitted on 3rd and the doctors are looking forward to transfusion on the 4th of October, as of now.
Lets keep the prayers on .
I'm sure Rishi will make it through this and all our prayers for him will be answered.
Thank you for everything.
In love, gratitude and prayer always,
Tina.
Just spoke to Mr Prakash.
Rishi is in hospital. Chemo is on. He is coping well.
His sister will get admitted on 3rd and the doctors are looking forward to transfusion on the 4th of October, as of now.
Lets keep the prayers on .
I'm sure Rishi will make it through this and all our prayers for him will be answered.
Thank you for everything.
In love, gratitude and prayer always,
Tina.
Monday 27 September 2010
Update_27th September_4:50 pm
Hello everyone!
Rishi has been re-admitted.
They will start with chemo tonight. It will go on till the 3rd of October.
They will let him rest on the 4th.
The bone marrow transplant will take place on the 5th .
Lets keep praying and watch Rishi win this battle!! :)
Mr. Prakash was sounding a little positive today as compared to any other day that Ive spoken to him.
God Bless them all!
In love, gratitude and prayer,
Tina.
Rishi has been re-admitted.
They will start with chemo tonight. It will go on till the 3rd of October.
They will let him rest on the 4th.
The bone marrow transplant will take place on the 5th .
Lets keep praying and watch Rishi win this battle!! :)
Mr. Prakash was sounding a little positive today as compared to any other day that Ive spoken to him.
God Bless them all!
In love, gratitude and prayer,
Tina.
Saturday 25 September 2010
Update_25th September_2:45 pm.
HI Folks!
Mr.Prakash just called. Our prayers are answered :).
The report for the liver biopsy is clear. There is nothing wrong.
On Monday, Rishi will be admitted and they will start chemo therapy from the 1st of October to to the 3rd of October.
His sister , who is the bone marrow doner, will be admitted on the 4th of October , and the transfusion , God willing will happen on the 5th of October.
We are very close to seeing Rishi win this battle.
Let us all continue to pray for him and await his speedy recovery.
Thank you all , who are praying and have helped in any way for him to have reached here .
In, love , prayer and gratitude,
Tina.
Mr.Prakash just called. Our prayers are answered :).
The report for the liver biopsy is clear. There is nothing wrong.
On Monday, Rishi will be admitted and they will start chemo therapy from the 1st of October to to the 3rd of October.
His sister , who is the bone marrow doner, will be admitted on the 4th of October , and the transfusion , God willing will happen on the 5th of October.
We are very close to seeing Rishi win this battle.
Let us all continue to pray for him and await his speedy recovery.
Thank you all , who are praying and have helped in any way for him to have reached here .
In, love , prayer and gratitude,
Tina.
Thursday 23 September 2010
Tuesday 21 September 2010
Update as on September 21st_3:00 pm
Just spoke to Mr Prakash.
The biopsy of the liver was done yesterday.
Reports are awaited. Will get them by Saturday. We will know then.
Let us continue to pray that there is nothing wrong with the liver and the treatment can start asap without any more hindrances.
PS- Mr Prakash asked me if i could go meet them. I mentioned to him , that im on total bed rest as i have a slipped disc in my back bone., but as soon as i do feel better i will drop in.
He said ok and hung up.
A few seconds later he called back, asking if i am on medication and if i need any help from him. I was touched. He then went on to say " i am sorry,i did not ask you in the previous call, we are only busy with our things , i should have asked "
At once , i told him , right now, its time for you to care ONLY and ONLY about Rishi and we are all with you praying for his speedy recovery.
-I mentioned this to you all , just so that we all realise that there still exist ppl like Mr Prakash and he SO does not deserve what he is going through.
Please keep the prayers on , I am sure the good lord will see us through all of this.
In love , light, luck and Prayers,
Sairam,
Tina
The biopsy of the liver was done yesterday.
Reports are awaited. Will get them by Saturday. We will know then.
Let us continue to pray that there is nothing wrong with the liver and the treatment can start asap without any more hindrances.
PS- Mr Prakash asked me if i could go meet them. I mentioned to him , that im on total bed rest as i have a slipped disc in my back bone., but as soon as i do feel better i will drop in.
He said ok and hung up.
A few seconds later he called back, asking if i am on medication and if i need any help from him. I was touched. He then went on to say " i am sorry,i did not ask you in the previous call, we are only busy with our things , i should have asked "
At once , i told him , right now, its time for you to care ONLY and ONLY about Rishi and we are all with you praying for his speedy recovery.
-I mentioned this to you all , just so that we all realise that there still exist ppl like Mr Prakash and he SO does not deserve what he is going through.
Please keep the prayers on , I am sure the good lord will see us through all of this.
In love , light, luck and Prayers,
Sairam,
Tina
Saturday 18 September 2010
Update _18th September 2010_5:30 pm
HI Folks!
Just spoke to Mr. Prakash. There isn't a great news.
He was just back from the hospital.
Rishis liver function count has increased.
Normal is supposed to be between 0 - 45.
On 13th, Rishis count was 381 - 340.
It is 500 today.
Thats not good .
They have told him to come back on Monday and do a liver biopsy.
Let us all collectively pray nothing is wrong on that front now.
He has enough to bear already.
Mr. Prakash sounded even more low then when i spoke to him last. Understandably.
In prayer, love and light,
Sairam,
Tina.
Just spoke to Mr. Prakash. There isn't a great news.
He was just back from the hospital.
Rishis liver function count has increased.
Normal is supposed to be between 0 - 45.
On 13th, Rishis count was 381 - 340.
It is 500 today.
Thats not good .
They have told him to come back on Monday and do a liver biopsy.
Let us all collectively pray nothing is wrong on that front now.
He has enough to bear already.
Mr. Prakash sounded even more low then when i spoke to him last. Understandably.
In prayer, love and light,
Sairam,
Tina.
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Update at 3:00 pm _15th Sept 2010
Mr. Prakash just called.
The reports came in. He mentioned that the count is high; but not dangerously high.
Inspite of that ,the doctors say they will discharge him now since he will need to rest for 3 - 4 days at home, as the count needs to come back to normal for them to start the treatment.
He will be back in hospital by Saturday.
He did mention that he is very very worried and hopes nothing goes wrong.
I did try my best to assure him we are all with him , and above all of us, God is definitely with him.
But, i am sure no words at this point in time are going to make him feel better.
He also mentioned that he does know God is going to make everything fine soon.
May God grant Rishi and his family the strength to go through this.
Amen.
Light and Prayers,
Tina.
P.S- will keep in touch with him and update you all as soon as i know anything.Please keep the prayers all. Faith can move mountains.
The reports came in. He mentioned that the count is high; but not dangerously high.
Inspite of that ,the doctors say they will discharge him now since he will need to rest for 3 - 4 days at home, as the count needs to come back to normal for them to start the treatment.
He will be back in hospital by Saturday.
He did mention that he is very very worried and hopes nothing goes wrong.
I did try my best to assure him we are all with him , and above all of us, God is definitely with him.
But, i am sure no words at this point in time are going to make him feel better.
He also mentioned that he does know God is going to make everything fine soon.
May God grant Rishi and his family the strength to go through this.
Amen.
Light and Prayers,
Tina.
P.S- will keep in touch with him and update you all as soon as i know anything.Please keep the prayers all. Faith can move mountains.
Tuesday 14 September 2010
Latest update _15th Sept 2010_11:30 am
Just spoke to Rishis father ; Rishi has developed a liver function issue due to the anti virus given to him, hence has been shifted out of the sterile room into the general ward.
I could literally sense the sadness in Mr. Prakash Sarafdar's voice.
The reports of the liver function are expected by this afternoon , after which the doctors will decide the next step. If its under control, he will be taken back to the sterile room and the treatment will begin immediately, but if the count is not under control , they will wait 3 - 4 days before they begin the treatment for cancer.
He needs our prayers people. Please pray that the reports are clear and they can start the treatment asap.
Will update this space as soon as I hear more.
Love Luck Prayers and Light,
Tina
I could literally sense the sadness in Mr. Prakash Sarafdar's voice.
The reports of the liver function are expected by this afternoon , after which the doctors will decide the next step. If its under control, he will be taken back to the sterile room and the treatment will begin immediately, but if the count is not under control , they will wait 3 - 4 days before they begin the treatment for cancer.
He needs our prayers people. Please pray that the reports are clear and they can start the treatment asap.
Will update this space as soon as I hear more.
Love Luck Prayers and Light,
Tina
Thursday 9 September 2010
Ready......Get Set.....Go.....
We are nearly there......a few last miles to go......
Today
i visited the hospital where our little warrior has started camping. As you can see from the picture (which i managed to take stealthily from a window outside the "highly sterile room"), Rishi is all set to defeat cancer and win this round. He has placed a lot of hope on us and believes that while he is doing his bit, we will do ours. Looking at the support which has been pouring in from the various parts of the world, his parents believe that indeed it is God who wills that an individual takes birth and it is HIM alone who provides to meet the individual's needs. They had never imagined that their son would receive so much attention and have so many people following the progress of his health.
Chirpy Little Rutuja was near her father (shown in picture) and i asked her about herself. All she could tell me was that while she did not enjoy eating all that healthy food (including biryani), she had to do it since the doctor wanted her hemoglobin level to increase. She proudly told me that it was "13". Indeed blessed is this boy whose own sister is feeding herself like a guinea pig only so that she can donate a part of herself to help him live. Sporting a bandage on her arm she was prepared to take up her position against the mighty cancer which threatens to take away her brother. She studies in Std 5, in St. Francis School. Rishi also studies in the same school in Std. 7.
Now coming to the finer details of what i found out. After Rishi was detected with cancer, the family tried its best to provide him the best of treatment. His treatment started at the Budhrani Hospital and after spending a lot of money (3 lakhs) on tests, chemotherapy and treatment, the result was not encouraging. They were then referred to Sahyadri Hospital and they met Dr. Shashikant Apte. He filled them with hope and told them that if they were to find a donor for bone marrow, there is a very good chance that Rishi can be fully cured. This good news was followed up with another good news, which is that his own sister was identified as an identical donor and her bone marrow could be used to give him Life. But no good news comes without a rider. Here the rider was the cost. But the boy's father was determined to fight and he spent another 4 lakhs on the initial HAM treatment which is a predecessor to the bone marrow transplant.
The transplant itslef is going to cost about 8 lakh rupees. The father again raised 3.5 lakhs and undeterred decided to start the treatment of the kid. But the balance is what he is not able to raise and this is where WE CAME IN.
But let me also tell you about where he raised all this (totally about 11 lakhs) money from.
Loans from relatives - 400,000
House mortgage - 300,000
Credit Society Personal Loan - 60,000
Charity - 340,000
So you can clearly see that the man is already neck deep in loans (totally 760,000). With a monthly income of 13,000 doesn't look like he can even repay the interest on it!!!
So now, there is an expenditure of another 450,000 to be incurred immediately and another 400,000 after the bone marrow transplant to cover all possibilities including the worst case which is a relapse.
I spoke to Dr. Apte who says that this kid has a 70% chance to make through clean, but then you cant always predict what can happen. These are just statistics and not any kind of indicators. When i told him that this means that the kid will need a lot of good luck to get cured, he cut me short saying that.......he'll need lots of bad luck to not be cured. I was amazed at his response. The doctor is as optimistic as the kid himself. This is surely a winning combination and if we add our prayers to it, we could create a success story.
Now coming to the most important aspect......where are we on the collections front......how much more and have we done enough......???
We have 2.5 lakhs in collections from all our sai brothers, about 60k from Ramdas' colleagues in Compassites. that leaves us short of 4.5 - 3.1 = 1.4 lakhs. But this is not the real figure. If we do not provision at least 200k out of the 400k required after the bone marrow transplant, the effort could be a complete waste. Also, with the father servicing the debt, there will be no money left behind to create a sterile environment for the kid at home and to feed him nutritious and most importantly sterile food and water.
Considering all this the need is to raise about 5.4 lakhs (1.4 + 4) more.
The doctor has been very helpful and he spoke to the in house NGO at the hospital (Samavedana) which will take complete responsibility of accepting the donations, providing 80(g) receipts and governing the use of the funds. Apart from this the hospital itself has already extended concessions. The regular cost of a transplant is about 10 lakhs, the hospital has provided free medicines worth 1 lakh, the doctor has taken a fee cut and the room rent (its 7k/night for the sterile room) has been heavily subsidized. That's totally worth about 2 lakhs.
Rishi's treatment has started and the transplant will take place on 16th or the 17th.
It was a very emotional moment (for me) when i handed over the cheque for 2.5 lakhs to Rishi's mother. i was expecting her to react, but then looking at her face (that's all i could see since she was covered with sterile clothes) i realised that her feelings were already dead and she stood completely emotionless. how difficult it must be for a mother to see a part of herself being eaten away by disease. Indeed sad and i hope we can put a smile back on her face again.
On the next steps.......they are as below:
1. Raise 5.4 lakhs more asap.
2. Pray as much as possible.....(a lot of things can go wrong...)
3. Scan all documents related to his medical condition and publish them. (This can be used for seeking aid from recognized charities in India and abroad) - I will get this done
4. Make available all receipts of payments made by Rishi's family for his medical condition till now - i will have this done.
Today
i visited the hospital where our little warrior has started camping. As you can see from the picture (which i managed to take stealthily from a window outside the "highly sterile room"), Rishi is all set to defeat cancer and win this round. He has placed a lot of hope on us and believes that while he is doing his bit, we will do ours. Looking at the support which has been pouring in from the various parts of the world, his parents believe that indeed it is God who wills that an individual takes birth and it is HIM alone who provides to meet the individual's needs. They had never imagined that their son would receive so much attention and have so many people following the progress of his health.
Chirpy Little Rutuja was near her father (shown in picture) and i asked her about herself. All she could tell me was that while she did not enjoy eating all that healthy food (including biryani), she had to do it since the doctor wanted her hemoglobin level to increase. She proudly told me that it was "13". Indeed blessed is this boy whose own sister is feeding herself like a guinea pig only so that she can donate a part of herself to help him live. Sporting a bandage on her arm she was prepared to take up her position against the mighty cancer which threatens to take away her brother. She studies in Std 5, in St. Francis School. Rishi also studies in the same school in Std. 7.
Now coming to the finer details of what i found out. After Rishi was detected with cancer, the family tried its best to provide him the best of treatment. His treatment started at the Budhrani Hospital and after spending a lot of money (3 lakhs) on tests, chemotherapy and treatment, the result was not encouraging. They were then referred to Sahyadri Hospital and they met Dr. Shashikant Apte. He filled them with hope and told them that if they were to find a donor for bone marrow, there is a very good chance that Rishi can be fully cured. This good news was followed up with another good news, which is that his own sister was identified as an identical donor and her bone marrow could be used to give him Life. But no good news comes without a rider. Here the rider was the cost. But the boy's father was determined to fight and he spent another 4 lakhs on the initial HAM treatment which is a predecessor to the bone marrow transplant.
The transplant itslef is going to cost about 8 lakh rupees. The father again raised 3.5 lakhs and undeterred decided to start the treatment of the kid. But the balance is what he is not able to raise and this is where WE CAME IN.But let me also tell you about where he raised all this (totally about 11 lakhs) money from.
Loans from relatives - 400,000
House mortgage - 300,000
Credit Society Personal Loan - 60,000
Charity - 340,000
So you can clearly see that the man is already neck deep in loans (totally 760,000). With a monthly income of 13,000 doesn't look like he can even repay the interest on it!!!
So now, there is an expenditure of another 450,000 to be incurred immediately and another 400,000 after the bone marrow transplant to cover all possibilities including the worst case which is a relapse.
I spoke to Dr. Apte who says that this kid has a 70% chance to make through clean, but then you cant always predict what can happen. These are just statistics and not any kind of indicators. When i told him that this means that the kid will need a lot of good luck to get cured, he cut me short saying that.......he'll need lots of bad luck to not be cured. I was amazed at his response. The doctor is as optimistic as the kid himself. This is surely a winning combination and if we add our prayers to it, we could create a success story.
Now coming to the most important aspect......where are we on the collections front......how much more and have we done enough......???
We have 2.5 lakhs in collections from all our sai brothers, about 60k from Ramdas' colleagues in Compassites. that leaves us short of 4.5 - 3.1 = 1.4 lakhs. But this is not the real figure. If we do not provision at least 200k out of the 400k required after the bone marrow transplant, the effort could be a complete waste. Also, with the father servicing the debt, there will be no money left behind to create a sterile environment for the kid at home and to feed him nutritious and most importantly sterile food and water.
Considering all this the need is to raise about 5.4 lakhs (1.4 + 4) more.
The doctor has been very helpful and he spoke to the in house NGO at the hospital (Samavedana) which will take complete responsibility of accepting the donations, providing 80(g) receipts and governing the use of the funds. Apart from this the hospital itself has already extended concessions. The regular cost of a transplant is about 10 lakhs, the hospital has provided free medicines worth 1 lakh, the doctor has taken a fee cut and the room rent (its 7k/night for the sterile room) has been heavily subsidized. That's totally worth about 2 lakhs.
Rishi's treatment has started and the transplant will take place on 16th or the 17th.
It was a very emotional moment (for me) when i handed over the cheque for 2.5 lakhs to Rishi's mother. i was expecting her to react, but then looking at her face (that's all i could see since she was covered with sterile clothes) i realised that her feelings were already dead and she stood completely emotionless. how difficult it must be for a mother to see a part of herself being eaten away by disease. Indeed sad and i hope we can put a smile back on her face again.
On the next steps.......they are as below:
1. Raise 5.4 lakhs more asap.
2. Pray as much as possible.....(a lot of things can go wrong...)
3. Scan all documents related to his medical condition and publish them. (This can be used for seeking aid from recognized charities in India and abroad) - I will get this done
4. Make available all receipts of payments made by Rishi's family for his medical condition till now - i will have this done.
Wednesday 8 September 2010
We couldnt Save Babli (http://savebabli.blogspot.com) but now we CAN save RISHI
Here are some more pictures of the brave boy......
We couldnt save Babli but here is another chance.....Lets Do IT......
We couldnt save Babli but here is another chance.....Lets Do IT......
Tuesday 7 September 2010
Rishi's Photos
Hi,
This is the young Rishi we are trying to save. Also seen is his sister......who will be saving his life.....with a part of her own.....
Guys lets do it please.
....Vishnu
Amounts received so far
hi,
Below is a running account of the amounts received so far:
VB(ICICI XFER) - 10k
RC(CITIN10028087771) - 10k
AP(BARCLAYS XFER) - 7.5k
BV(000175448857) - 0.5k
Unknown(000175449755) - 5k
Unknown(000175462207) - 1k
000175465404 - 2k
SU(AXISI10250010028) - 5k
GNSK(CITIN10028107502) - 3k
GP(CITIN10028107525) - 0.5k
Unknown(000175494369) - 5k
Total - 49.5k
Commitments:
SN(USA) - 20k
KC(USA) - 150$ - 6.75k
JB(MUM) - 11k
Total - 37.75k
Total (Received + Committed) - 87.25k
I'll keep adding as and when i keep getting updates. I have indicated the initials of people and also the transaction reference number such that people can track their contributions, if they do not want to disclose their names (have named them Unknown)
Below is a running account of the amounts received so far:
VB(ICICI XFER) - 10k
RC(CITIN10028087771) - 10k
AP(BARCLAYS XFER) - 7.5k
BV(000175448857) - 0.5k
Unknown(000175449755) - 5k
Unknown(000175462207) - 1k
000175465404 - 2k
SU(AXISI10250010028) - 5k
GNSK(CITIN10028107502) - 3k
GP(CITIN10028107525) - 0.5k
Unknown(000175494369) - 5k
Total - 49.5k
Commitments:
SN(USA) - 20k
KC(USA) - 150$ - 6.75k
JB(MUM) - 11k
Total - 37.75k
Total (Received + Committed) - 87.25k
I'll keep adding as and when i keep getting updates. I have indicated the initials of people and also the transaction reference number such that people can track their contributions, if they do not want to disclose their names (have named them Unknown)
Details for transfering money
Option 1
For tax exemptions under 80G, you could address the cheque to Samavedana
Click here to know more about the organization
In this case Samavedana is free to use the money for "ANY" hospital expenses, not only for Rishi
Hence you need to specifically give a standing instruction to Samavedana that the money needs to be used for "Hrishikesh Sarafdar" ONLY
This will assist your cause and all of our efforts
Samavedana uses this money for Rishi ONLY when Rishi is admitted to Sahyadri hospital - as a practice, they do not disburse this money for buying day to day medicines. This is also a big reason why we always recommend Option 2 to our donors
Option 2
You could send the money to Vishnu's account
We will disburse the money to hospital / Samavedana when in need
And acquire 80G receipts in the name of donor
These receipts will be sent to donors via post
If this money is required for out-of-hospital expenses, we will get regular medication receipts, not necessarily 80G
The details are as below:
Name (in a/c): VISHNU BHAN
A/c No: 003901054012
ICICI BANK, SHIVAJI NAGAR BRANCH, PUNE
IFSC: ICIC0000039
Please insert the narration “SAVERISHI” in the comments/narration field so that I can track it easily.
ALL THE DOCUMENTS WILL BE SHARED AS AND WHEN PROCURED
For tax exemptions under 80G, you could address the cheque to Samavedana
Click here to know more about the organization
In this case Samavedana is free to use the money for "ANY" hospital expenses, not only for Rishi
Hence you need to specifically give a standing instruction to Samavedana that the money needs to be used for "Hrishikesh Sarafdar" ONLY
This will assist your cause and all of our efforts
Samavedana uses this money for Rishi ONLY when Rishi is admitted to Sahyadri hospital - as a practice, they do not disburse this money for buying day to day medicines. This is also a big reason why we always recommend Option 2 to our donors
Option 2
You could send the money to Vishnu's account
We will disburse the money to hospital / Samavedana when in need
And acquire 80G receipts in the name of donor
These receipts will be sent to donors via post
If this money is required for out-of-hospital expenses, we will get regular medication receipts, not necessarily 80G
The details are as below:
Name (in a/c): VISHNU BHAN
A/c No: 003901054012
ICICI BANK, SHIVAJI NAGAR BRANCH, PUNE
IFSC: ICIC0000039
Please insert the narration “SAVERISHI” in the comments/narration field so that I can track it easily.
ALL THE DOCUMENTS WILL BE SHARED AS AND WHEN PROCURED
Monday 6 September 2010
Save Rishi
This boy is suffering from Leukemia and CAN SURVIVE. My friends have managed to collect about 3 lakhs and the boy’s parents have mortgaged their house and raised another 3 lakhs. There is 2 - 4 lakh still to be collected and has to be done in the next two days, since he is slated to be operated on the 9th.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)