Stories
Meet Ritu Gautam and her husband, Ajay. When Ritu became paralyzed from the waist down while pregnant, Ajay rushed her to the nearest hospital. At Safdarjung, Ritu was informed that she had tuberculosis of the spine and it had caused a buildup of fluid that was paralyzing her. The surgeries she needed would cost a total of 48,300 rupees, but Ritu and Ajay could pay for less than half of that. Project AID sponsored the remaining surgery cost, which covered the equipment needed: polyaxial pedicle screws, a spinal rod, and a titanium mesh cage. Ritu’s procedures successfully relieved the pressure that was paralyzing her, and in between surgeries she gave birth to a healthy baby girl.
Total Cost: 28,300 rupees / $358
Meet Chhabi Ray, another woman affected by spinal tuberculosis. Chhabi has suffered from tuberculosis for years, preventing her from holding a job. She relies solely on her husband, who drives a tuk-tuk (a cart-like taxi) in Delhi and makes about $3 a day. When she became pregnant, Chhabi was forced to borrow a wheelchair from a neighbor. However, the wheelchair she was using was broken and too small, so Project AID provided a new wheelchair for her and sponsored her MRI.
Total Cost: 5,300 rupees / $75
Meet 3-year-old Sparsh and his mother, Gireesha. Sparsh has lived with leukemia for most of his life, and his mother is hopeful he will soon receive a life-saving bone marrow transplant. However, to be eligible for a transplant, Sparsh needed expensive genetic testing to match him with a donor. Gireesha spent all their money on Sparsh’s chemotherapy and could not afford the genetic test necessary to save her son’s life. Project AID sponsored Sparsh’s genetic test, giving him a chance to fight for his life.
Total Cost: 19,500 rupees / $274
Meet Deepak, a nineteen-year-old university student who broke his leg in a motorcycle accident. Deepak spent his life savings on university and has been working odd jobs to make ends meet in school. He was waiting, immobilized, in Safdarjung for three months, unable to pay for surgery to walk again and with no way to generate income. Project AID sponsored Deepak’s leg repair, allowing him to finish university and support his family.
Total Cost: 12,600 rupees / $177
Meet Mamta, a loyal janitor at Safdarjung Hospital for over 10 years. Mamta’s husband is disabled, so they and their two children rely solely upon Mamta’s monthly salary of 12,000 rupees ($170 / month). When Mamta was diagnosed with cancer, Safdarjung Hospital provided her initial surgery and chemotherapy treatments. However, Safdarjung could not pay for Mamta’s final treatment, which cost almost 12,000 rupees per dose. Even with Safdarjung’s reduced rate of 3,600 rupees per dose, Mamta could not afford the medicine, so Project AID sponsored all three necessary treatments. When we told Mamta we would sponsor her treatment, tears welled up in her eyes, and she thanked us for giving her the gift of time to be with her family.
Total Cost: 11,101 rupees / $156