Four-year child Diyasree on Monday knocked at the doors of the district administration seeking help from government and philanthropic
public for meeting expensive treatment cost of Thalassemia Major.
A cost projection by Apollo Hospitals describes an approximate requirement of Rs. 30 lakh for stem cell transplantation, cited as the only curative option for the condition. The cost could increase in case of a life-threatening fungal infection as antifungal agents were expensive and there was graft versus host disease, the estimate states.
Her parents S. Yuvaraj, an autorickshaw driver and Usha, residents of Solar Pudur, have nowhere to go. “My daughter has been on blood transfusion 68 times since she was a six-month-old baby. We have been spending nearly Rs. 5,000 every month towards blood transfusion and cost of medicines, risking side-effects,” a grief-stricken mother said.
“We have discontinued Diya from school after LKG. We hope to get support from the Government and Non-Government Organisations for the expensive treatment,” Ms. Usha said.
The parents were told earlier that the treatment would cost Rs. 10 lakh, and had been struggling to mobilise the amount.
Upon receiving a communication about the requirement of Rs. 30 lakh, the parents are heart-broken. “We have spent heavily beyond our capacity are making an ultimate attempt for government intervention,” Ms. Usha said.
