The power of social media and the joint effort of Kerala and Telangana governments as well as many other committed healthcare workers and organisations ensured that baby Anvitha got her timely chemotherapy treatment for retinoblastoma at the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute here on Wednesday.
The baby, aged one year and nine months, hailing from Alappuzha, has been suffering from the life-threatening eye cancer and has been taking treatment at the institute. She was due for next cycle of intra-arterial chemotherapy when the lockdown happened. Her parents, Vineeth Vijayan, an electrician, and Gopika, were worried about travel to Hyderabad as patients like their daughter should not miss or even delay a single chemo cycle. It was when Mr. Vineeth took to social media and appealed for help.
"Help came from so many quarters that I was overwhelmed. My wife received a call from Health Minister K.K. Shailaja within a day of posting in the Facebook. She enquired about the baby’s health and made arrangements, including permissions for our travel to Hyderabad and back by an ambulance with two drivers,” he said.
Mr. Vineeth had come to know later that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself had entrusted the task to Ms. Shailaja on getting to know of the baby’s health condition
Anvitha and her parents reached Hyderabad on Tuesday and the baby successfully underwent the treatment. “We were anxious because missing the treatment cycle would have put our daughter’s life in danger. She is much better now and I want to thank each and every person who helped us,” said a grateful Mr. Vineeth.
LVPEI’s head of eye cancer services Swathi Kaliki, under whose care Anvitha is, said there were good chances of the baby’s eyesight to be saved as her condition was improving.
“Patients undergoing cancer treatment need close monitoring and it is critical to attend all the follow-ups. It is commendable on the part of the parents not to have given up hope because of the lockdown and on the part of several people rushing to their help," she said. Anvitha is getting treatment free of cost at the institute.
