Kolkata: Nothing is more difficult than managing the livelihood of the family all alone without any support from your partner. West Bengal based Lipika faces this difficulty in day to day life as she struggles to meet the needs of her family. In spite of being the only breadwinner of the family, Lipika has always made sure that the family gets all the required basic needs that are necessary for an individual. Lipika’s world came crashing down when her daughter was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2, a rare genetic order that weakens the muscles of a child and prevents basic stuff like eating, sitting and walking. Currently, Lipika is raising funds of INR 5 crores on crowd funding platform ImpactGuru.com towards the treatment for her daughter which is her only family.
13 y/o Smriti started losing muscle strength a few months after her birth. She couldn’t move her arms and legs and faced difficulty in swallowing food. Due to her condition, her spine has curved dangerously and the little girl can’t stand straight. She always wears support equipment (back brace) and has been wheelchair-bound for so many years now. One look at her and you won’t fail to notice her deformed and unusually long legs and feet. Smriti is also prone to lung infections easily every time she has a viral cough or cold.
“There exists a treatment for Smriti’s condition and the doctors at Peerless Hospitex Hospital and Research Center have said a medicine named Risdiplam by Roche that can give her a new life. She will also need surgery to treat Scoliosis (curvature of the spine). But Smriti’s treatment will be prolonged and she’ll need multiple bottles of this medicine.” acknowledges Lipika.
Lipika is currently working as a house help to earn for the living which is also her only source of income. With the little money she earns, she feeds her daughter and if she is left with any more money, she buys her daughter’s medicines and support equipment. For the past many years, she has been fighting a double battle – poverty as well as helplessness.
“I am requesting you to please contribute to Smriti’s ImpactGuru fundraiser. If she gets this medicine, she can live a normal life, go to school and play with kids. But without it, her spine will continue getting curved, so much so that her body will bend down completely. Please contribute as much as you can and spread Smriti’s story on every social media platform”, appeals Lipika, Smriti’s Mother.
Fundraiser Link: https://www.impactguru.com/fundraiser/help-smriti-chakroborty
