Arnav Gupta

On January,21, 2021, MOHAN Foundation’s ‘Anudaan- Making Transplants Affordable’ team received an email from Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Hyderabad requesting financial aid for Baby Aaradhya, who was admitted to the hospital on January 11, 2021 with the diagnosis of fulminant liver failure due to Wilsons Disease. The family was given the option of liver transplant and Aaradhya’s mother volunteered to donate a part of her liver.

Anudaan Team contacted Mr. Winner Akunuri, the father of Aaradhya. He was in despair and shared that as if the agony of knowing that his 6 year old daughter had to undergo a liver transplant and that his wife was to donate a portion of her liver, they had the added distress of raising an exorbitant amount 18 lakhs for the transplant. After selling a piece of an ancestral land, asking friends & relatives and dipping into his savings, he had managed to raise 7.5 lakhs. This desperate father also set up an online fundraiser on MILAAP and raised another 2 Lakh.

The Anudaan team could hear the fear and desperation in the father’s voice, but at the same time, there was a firm determination to save his daughter. After connecting with Mr. Akunuri, Anudaan team decided to support the transplant of his daughter. The team approached Transplants Help the poor Foundation, one of the Anudaan’s partner, and they committed 2 lakhs towards Aaradhya’s transplant. MOHAN Foundation also connected with Mrs. Bhavna Jagwani, Convener of MOHAN Foundation Jaipur Citizen Forum (MFJCF), who garnered more support through her network of family and friends. Anudaan team approached Gleneagles Global Hospitals and motivated them to give some concession on the total cost of the transplant as the family’s economic situation was very poor and the child needed an immediate transplant. The hospital then offered a discount on the transplant.

MOHAN Foundation managed to raise 6.5 lakhs for Aaradhya through Anudaan. Through this collaborative effort, the transplant successfully took place on January 16, 2021.

Baby Aaradhya, hailing from Sirsapalli village, Huzurabad, Telangana, belongs to a low-income family that could never afford such an expensive transplant, without the support provided by ‘Anudaan ‘ Making Transplants Affordable’. Mr. Winner Akunuri was working as an executive in a small company near his village. He had to quit his job so that he could take care of her daughter. The family’s journey till Aaradhya’s transplant was very sad and heart- wrenching. The family was living a very happy and smooth life until they heard about Aaradhya’s liver disease. In November, 2020 Aaradhya had mild fever which went on for 2 weeks. Mr. Akunuri then took his daughter to the local pediatrician and took medication for 5 days. Unfortunately, the child’s health condition was not improving and her stomach started swelling. On December 12, 2020, she was found unconscious on the bed. She was immediately taken to a hospital in Warangal, which is 40 kms away from their village. As her health condition was critical, doctors’ referred the child to Rainbow Children’s hospital, Hyderabad. After treatment and observing Aaradhya for 2 days, the doctor informed the family that she was diagnosed with fulminant liver failure and needed liver transplant and that was the only way to save her life. The family was shocked after receiving this information and to hear that the liver transplant would cost around Rs. 20 Lakh. They could have never imagined that this young, ever-smiling child would be diagnosed with such deadly disease.

Because of the poor economic situation of family, the child was then shifted to a Government Hospital called ESI Hospital, Hyderabad where Aaradhya could not receive proper treatment and care. She was admitted there for 20 days but no improvement in her health could be observed. Her health condition was getting worst day by day. In desperation Mr Akunuri asked the doctors, ‘How can I save my daughter? Tell me where should I go to save her life??‘ But he did not receive any response. But he was determined to save her daughter’s life and decided to be strong and never lose hope. That is when, he started seeking help and information from his relatives and friends for Aaradhya’s transplant. He then heard about MOHAN Foundation from one of his seniors in the company where he used to work. He immediately contacted the Foundation’s team in Hyderabad. Aaradhya was admitted to Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Hyderabad and Anudaan came into action.

‘I thank everyone who worked round the clock to bring back smiles to our family. We will always be grateful to MOHAN Foundation, MFJCF and Transplants Help the poor Foundation’. Says Winner Akunuri, Father of Baby Aaradhya.

Both Aaradhya and her mother have recovered and slowly started living a normal life. Mr. Akunuri is a very good father. He is currently taking care of his two children as his wife is unable to look after children as she needs enough rest.

Aaradhya is very happy to receive a new life. She can be seen playing with her younger brother or doing her favourite activity that is drawing & painting. After a long health battle, she has been gifted with her precious childhood, when she can laugh, play, study and achieve her dreams. While she was admitted to Gleneagles Global Hospitals, the surgeon lovingly asked her- ‘What do you want to become in future?’ With a bright smile,she replied- ‘I want to be a liver transplant surgeon so that I can also save lives of many people like you’.