I still remember the day my son Niral came home excitedly because he aced his 10th boards. Soon, he would go to junior college. Nothing is more surreal for a parent than watching their kids grow up in front of their eyes, passing each milestone of their lives with flying colors. But what do you do when the child, you so lovingly raised, suddenly comes under the threat of cancer?
Nothing Prepared Us For This
It started with a common cold. Within a couple of days, my Niral’s health began deteriorating for the worse. After a few tests, he was diagnosed with a life threatening disease called Rhabdomyosarcoma (a type of cancer that attacks soft tissues) of Left Sino-Nasal Cavity. We were devastated! My wife and I were in shock for almost 5 months.
The Painful Course Of Treatment
In the course of his treatment, my 17-year-old lost an awful amount of weight. After losing close to 13 kgs within a short span of time, my son was down to 36 kgs due to his illness.
(Trigger Warning: This paragraph contains vivid details of disfigurement which some individuals may find distressing.)
Cancer ended up disfiguring half of my Niral’s face. The doctors had to piece back his face by taking a chunk of his flesh from the legs. The cancer also snatched vision from one of his eyes and was after his life. During that time, we were living our worst nightmare every waking moment of our lives. Even now, narrating our ordeal sends shivers down my spine.
And Then ImpactGuru Entered Our Lives
We needed Rs. 11.50 lakh to save my son from this harrowing disease. Helpless and lost, I didn’t know how to arrange funds for my son’s life-saving treatment. To make matters worse, I lost my job during this ordeal.
But then, as if on God’s cue, ImpactGuru, one of India’s trusted online fundraising companies in India, entered our lives. I started a fundraiser on ImpactGuru for my ailing son in the hope of getting him the treatment he needed. Soon enough, donors from all around the world poured in their support. Initially it was quite confusing for us to understand why absolute strangers would donate money to save my son from cancer. But slowly I understood the sheer beauty of crowdfunding, where people join hands together and fight the battle in unison.
Just… Gratitude
Gradually, we raised Rs. 9.32 lakh for my son’s cancer treatment. That helped my son receive his most critical treatment on time! As you are reading this, my brave son is regularly receiving chemotherapy so that he can successfully beat cancer.
None of this would have not been possible without ImpactGuru’s generous donor community who selflessly donated to my son’s fundraiser. I wish I could thank each one of you for contributing to my son’s fundraiser. Please keep my son in your prayers as he continues to fight cancer. We can’t wait for the day he emerges victorious over this fatal disease and be healthy again.
Gangavarapu Afreem, Niral’s father