Anunay Mishra, a 16-year-old boy, is a force to be reckoned with. The trial and tribulations of life did not deter him from staying positive and fight till the end. He was diagnosed with S/P Glenn, Double Inlet Single Left Ventricle, and has been dealing with cardiac issues since he was six years old.
Either his nails, tongue, lips would turn blue, or he would experience shortness of breath. Initially, these signs were ignored by the family, but soon they realized something was unusual. He was taken to King George’s Medical University in Lucknow where the doctors couldn’t specify the problem and the only advice given to his family was to take Anunay to Delhi for further check-ups.
However, the financial constraints restricted them from travelling. In 2014, again Anunay’s condition worsened, and his parents finally brought him to Delhi for a check-up. They took him to the G. B. Pant Hospital but unfortunately, they ended up losing a lot of time standing in long queues. In 2015, almost after waiting for six-seven months,his turn came and the first surgery – Glenn was performed. However, even after the surgery, some of the problems persisted.
Anunay started looking for NGOs online and in 2019,came across Child Heart Foundation. With a lot of hope, he contacted the center and was called for some procedures. His condition was very complicated and required constant monitoring. Because of these intricacies, Dr. Vikas Kohli, Founder, Trustee wanted to be sure of the situationas the surgery required was Fontan.
While planning for his surgery, the entire CHF team was worried and praying as the chances of survival were less. Dr. Kohli had counselled Anunay’s father in advance and explained the process in detail to help them make a sound decision. Anunay, on the other hand, was certain that he wanted the surgery and even though the stakes were high, he convinced his father to do this for him and his dream.
Anunay wants to become a surgeon and give back to society by serving people. He is a bright student who performed exceedingly well in his 10th board exams.He has scored 94% and iskeento pursue his dream in the medical field.
The day of the surgery arrived! While everyone around Anunay was anxious, he was calm and composed, like always. At such a young age, his clarity and simplicity are his biggest assets, which people around him can sense and admire him for.
Anunay also happened to be the 100th child of CHF’s Hridaan Project that provides financial assistance to families. The team could not have been prouder to have such a brave and intelligent child gracing the 100th mark. The surgery was difficult and riddled with challenges but in the end, everything turned out to be in our favour. After the surgery, instead of frowning, seeing Anunay smile has been the most rewarding experience for the entire team. We wish him luck for his bright future!!