Darshika is a five-year-old friendly girl who loves to have conversations with people. The family originally is from Bijnor, but they have been staying in Delhi for more than a decade now. Her father’s income has been seriously impacted by the pandemic leaving him with nothing. Today, it is difficult for him to even take care of his basic monthly expenditures.
The family was going through a very difficult phase, financially and emotionally, since their daughter has been diagnosed with ASD. Sadly, Darshika’s health has always been a serious concern for the parents. She was only one year old when she had pneumonia. Her pneumonia episodes have been consistent, sometimes even happening twice a year. The treatment only gave her temporary relief, and the episodes would start again after a while
Another matter of concern for her mother was her weight as it was not increasing. Her growth was not normal, and she had even consulted a few people for the same but could not get any clarity.
They went to a hospital in Moradabad and the doctor after a few tests gave heartbreaking news to the parents.
“Darshika has a hole in her heart that can be cured only through surgery. If this was diagnosed earlier, when she was probably one year old, this could have been cured by medicines,” said the doctor. The family was then referred to Child Heart Foundation for further treatment and assistance.
They visited the centre in October and Dr. Vikas Kohli shared the diagnosis with the parents. Since she has ASD, the surgery required is ASD Device Closure. The cost of the treatment was Rs. 1,00,000. Looking at the financial situation, she registered under the Hridaan project and was successfully operated in AIIMS.
