15YO Pooja Screams in Pain Every Single Day. Support This Single Mother’s Fight To Save Her Daughter

“My daughter is in pain every day. All her fingers are bent and crooked. Her arms are bent at the elbows and can’t be stretched straight. There are big, painful lumps on her heels. If something touches them, she screams in pain. So she walks on her toes. All the time. She has endured too much for 15 years. I want it to stop now. I want her to get better. She deserves it.” - Priya, mother

Pooja was a happy 5-year-old until her world turned upside down

Back in those days, she ran around and played like the other kids. Untouched by pain, she laughed a lot. But one day, without warning, a seizure took hold of her. Her eyes rolled upwards and her body jerked uncontrollably. It stopped after a while, but the damage was irreversible.

“After a few days, we noticed strange symptoms. Her fingers became crooked and bent, one after the other. We took her to every doctor we knew. But nobody could undo this. It just got worse and worse. How could something like this happen to our child, who had been so active? Why her? She is 20 now, and I still don’t have answers.” - Priya breaks into a sob

Despite her struggles, Pooja kept pushing forward

Pooja goes through her day struggling in silence when she can, and screaming her lungs out when the pain is unbearable. She is largely dependent on others even for everyday chores. Despite this, she has managed to finish her schooling. Soon, she will be a computer science graduate, too. 

“She lost her father four years ago, and it hit her badly. He was at home with her; he used to drop her off at school and pick her up. When she started going to college, I enrolled her for the college bus. I was scared of sending her alone…but when I saw her friends taking care of her like a baby, I was moved. They helped her off the bus, dropped her home. Why, they even fed her lunch. I thank God for the support!” - Priya smiles through tears.

There is now a chance at a pain-free future for Pooja. But,

Doctors have now recommended multiple reconstructive surgeries for Pooja’s hands and legs. The hand reconstruction will restore a functional grip and improve hand utility. Foot correction surgery will help with the alignment of toes and thus prevent pressure ulcers.

The cost of the surgeries is over 20 lakh rupees, and Priya is helpless

Being a single parent and the sole breadwinner for the family, Priya has it tough. She earns 13,000 rupees a month and is already neck-deep in debt. The reality of her daughter becoming independent again is within reach. But she is unable to afford it. You can help.