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Noida, April 29 (PTI) A 37-year-old man whose three children are suffering from thalassaemia has appealed to the public and the government for help, saying he has lost all his property and is now losing hope to save his kids.
Shiv Veer Singh Yadav, who lives in Katara village of Kishni tehsil in Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh, belongs to a family of farmers. Till 2016, he worked as a private security guard in Daman and Diu but had to return home because of the condition of his children.
"My son Divyanshu (8) is currently hospitalised in Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute (SGPGI) of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, while my daughters -- Karishma (9) and Radha (5) -- are staying with their maternal grandparents in Etawah," he said.
According to doctors, thalassaemia patients need life-long blood support. On an average, adults suffering from this disorder need two units of blood and children need one unit once a week.
"My wife Priyanka and I were shattered when we got the news. I have lost my parents. We had around 15 bigha (over nine acres) of land but kept taking loans against its portions to bear the expenses of our children's treatment. The interest rates were high and eventually, we ended up losing all our property," Yadav told PTI over the phone.
"Doctors have suggested bone marrow transplant and predicted a 60-per cent chance of survival. The operation would cost Rs 30 lakh to Rs 40 lakh. The children need blood transfusion regularly. Had it been just one child, we could have managed, but all three have thalassaemia. It has become impossible to manage the bills now," Yadav said.
"We have also consulted doctors at the Saifai medical college (in Uttar Pradesh), the AIIMS (in New Delhi) and other hospitals," he said, adding, "Our son has got 150 units of blood in transfusion so far, while one daughter has got around 80 units and the other around 50 units."
Yadav said he has approached district administration officials, local MLAs and other politicians, but nothing major has come their way so far.
"Recently, we received Rs 1 lakh from the Samajwadi Party (SP), besides some private donations, but these amounts are like a drop in the ocean," he said.
Representatives of a popular philanthropist actor approached Yadav on Thursday. "But we are yet to hear back from them," the distraught father said.
He also said he has written to the Uttar Pradesh government as well as the Centre, narrating his ordeal.
"We have been struggling for over five years now. We struggle daily to keep our children alive. I am also appealing to the common people of the country for support. If a large number of people help me with small amounts, then it would make a big difference in saving these children," Yadav said.
