Seven-year-old Shraddha is a child who has successfully completed treatment for cancer (B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia) when many doctors gave up on her. Manisha, Shraddha’s mother, is happy and grateful to those who did not give up on her daughter. She says, “We come from a very poor family. My husband loads goods in trucks and drives the autorickshaw. There is no way we could have afforded her treatment. I feel very happy that Shraddha has completed her treatment. It is huge for us because there was only chaos and panic when Shraddha was diagnosed. Her white blood cells had fallen drastically. She was four years old and weighed only 10kgs. The doctors told us that she would not survive. Our friends and family also offered very little support. We were completely lost.”

During these difficult times, Manisha met Swamita, our nutritionist at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), Lucknow.

Manisha continues, “When I met Swamita, I felt comfortable. She told us about various government and non-government organisations that could help us financially. The aid we received from Cuddles was invaluable because Shraddha’s condition had deteriorated by the time she was admitted to SGPGI. When we spend money as a family, we think several times because money is limited. At a time like this, we wanted to do what was best for Shraddha without worrying about anything. And this is where the food we received as part of the Cuddles programme made all the difference.”

Shraddha was put on a high-calorie, neutropenic diet which protected her from bacteria and other harmful organisms as her immune system was severely compromised. The food she consumed as part of our Supplements, Ration, and In-meals programs nourished her, protected her from chemotherapy-related side effects, and in the end, helped her complete her treatment. You should be very proud of yourself for impacting someone’s life so profoundly. It took Shraddha almost three years to get here, and we hope she goes a long way.

“I have never been to school. I wish the situation improves so I can get admission to a school. I also want to paint more,” says Shraddha, who has gone from an anxious child to someone who loves talking to others.

We hope that Shraddha has a fulfilling life ahead, and we can’t thank you enough for this.