Altogether 46 vegetable and fruit vendors from a market in Kopri contributed humble amounts to fund a weight loss surgery of a fellow vendor who weighed 140 kg. With contributions ranging from ₹2,500 to ₹10,000, Vasant Kanade (51) managed to raise ₹1.43 lakh and went under the knife earlier this month. He has already lost 18 kg and his health problems like breathing difficulty, sleep disorder and backache have reduced to some extent.
With a monthly income varying from ₹10,000 to ₹15,000, Mr. Kanade, who is the sole earning member of his family comprising his wife and two daughters, only had savings of about ₹25,000. “Because of my health problems, I would spend a lot of money on medicines every month. It had come to a point where I would struggle to manage household expenses,” said Mr. Kanade, a Thane resident who decided to consider the option of bariatric surgery after coming across a television interview of a doctor talking about the procedure.
Vasant Kanade
In September last year, he consulted bariatric surgeon Dr. Manish Motwani from Astha Healthcare in Mulund, who gave him an estimate of ₹3.5 lakh for the procedure. As the news spread in the market, fellow vendors began enquiring with Mr. Kanade and considering his financial constraints, began offering small amounts.
“We have been friends for long and I have seen how the health issues were troubling him. He has always stood by me when I needed him. This was my time to stand by him,” said Vilas Ambre, a vegetable vendor who contributed ₹2,500.
Another vendor, Mahesh Kharpude who contributed ₹3,000, said he decided to stand by Mr. Kanade because of his “good heart”. “He was apprehensive to accept money from us at first. But we managed to convince him,” said Mr. Kharpude. At times, Mr. Kanade would be so sick that he would be unable to walk due to swollen legs, he said.
Vaibhav Jadhav, a vendor who contributed the highest sum of ₹10,000, said it was difficult to see a friend suffer so much. “He had hypertension and would have severe breathing difficulty,” he said.
In the first week of February, Mr. Kanade underwent a sleeve gastrectomy procedure, which involves stapling the stomach to restrict food intake. “The surgery went well and he has already lost 18 kg,” said Dr. Motwani. The hospital waived the remaining amount.
