“They told us to just pray. When doctors say that, a mother knows what it means. I kept begging my 18-month old Abiya to not leave me. She is still learning how to call me Amma. When I saw her small chest struggling for every breath, I realized a mother’s love isn't enough to save her child. Only a miracle and money I don't have can do that now.” - Kekesha, mother

While the world welcomed 2026 with fireworks and hope, Nishad and Kekasha walked into a hospital carrying their daughter, Abiya, unsure if she would see another sunrise.

Their 1.5-year-old daughter wasn't playing with her toys, instead, she was losing her life

Abiya was vomiting constantly. Her tiny stomach was painfully swollen.Test after test followed, until a diagnosis came that no parent is ever ready to hear - Blood Cancer.

The doctors in his village were honest, their silence suggesting that Abiya was beyond saving. But a father’s heart refuses to accept an end. So Nishad rushed her to Bangcalore, leaving his wife and 5-year-old daughter, Afiya, behind in Mayapur.

Against all odds, Abiya fought through the injections, chemotherapy and endless needles

And slowly, miraculously, she began responding to medicines. From a child almost slipping away, Abiya showed improvement. The doctors, once skeptical, now had hope that she can survive, she can go home and she can grow up.

But this hope came with a cruel price tag Nishad could never imagine affording

Nishad who earns Rs.12,000 a month has been out of income due to hospital visits. In just a few days, he has already drained 2 lakh rupees and the road ahead requires another 7 lakh rupees for the next 6-7 months of chemotherapy. An impossible amount for a father who hasn’t earned a rupee this month for being beside his child’s hospital bed.

“I am a labourer. I don’t fear hard work. I can carry any weight on my shoulders, but the weight of my daughter's hospital bills is crushing the life out of me. When the doctors said she can survive, that gave us hope. But that hope feels like a punishment when I look at my empty pockets. I fear watching my child slip away knowing there is a cure, but I cannot afford it.” - Nishad, father

Back home, their 5-year-old daughter, Afiya keeps asking when her baby sister will come back

“Afiya keeps setting a plate for Abiya at dinner. She doesn’t understand why her sister is in a different city. How do I tell her that every breath Abiya takes costs more than our family earns in a year. I pray to God every night, if you must take a life, take mine, but don’t let these sisters face a tragic separation at this tender age.” - Kekasha, mother 

With desperate attempts, these parents and doctors have pulled her back from a deathbed. Now, they will be crushed if money becomes the reason she is pushed back again.