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I never imagined I would be sleeping outside a hospital, on the cold floor near the entrance. My name is Priyanka Padmanabhan, and today my younger child is fighting for his life in the ICU.
Doctors say he needs a transplant urgently, but affording even every day's ICU costs is beyond our reach. Instead of hearing his laugh, we're praying for his failing heart to keep beating.
By The Time Doctors Diagnosed Him, His Heart Had Already Started To Fail
When our child had a mild fever after school, the local clinic gave him regular medicines. It didn’t seem serious. But days passed with no improvement. Then suddenly, his face swelled, and he was gasping for breath. At the bigger hospital, scans showed blood clots filling his heart, stopping it from pumping. He was diagnosed with severe congestive cardiac failure. Doctors told us, “Kabhi bhi kuch bhi ho sakta hai. His heart is functioning at just 20%."
He was moved to the ICU to stop the clots from reaching his brain or kidneys. Now, a machine is keeping him alive, circulating blood because his heart can’t. The only way to save him is an urgent heart transplant, followed by continued ICU care that costs ₹45 lakhs. I felt like my own heart had stopped.
We Now Live At The Hospital Entrance, Heartbroken On How Life Has Changed
My son would always wake up with me and get ready for school without being told. So kind, so responsible. He called me "Thangamma" with a smile that melted all my worries. Now, that voice is gone. He's been in the ICU for over 25 days. Visitors aren’t allowed inside the ICU. I'm not able to bear that our child is fading in a room we can't even enter.
Our day and night go by at the hospital gates, terrified we'll hear horrible news. Doctors have warned us that if we wait longer for the transplant, his other organs will start to shut down.
One Day's ICU Costs Are More Than What We Earn In Several Months
Every day, we spend over ₹70,000 just to keep him alive in the ICU. My husband works as an electrician at a private company. He earns barely enough for our meals. We had to sell every piece of jewellery, empty our savings, and borrow from everyone we knew, to keep him in the ICU. Now, there's nothing left.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m drowning. But then I remember his words before he was taken into the ICU: "Amma, I’ll come back. Don’t cry." That’s what keeps me going. That’s why I’m praying for help today.
Life Seems Hopeless Without Our Child. Please Help Us Save Him
He's always been the sweetest and most lovable child. I dream of the day he comes back, running to me, and can't imagine a life without him.
He's fighting so hard to live, and only your support can give my son a new heart—and a future.
