“Rishap is quite studious!” says Rishap’s mom. He was six years old when he was first diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma at Dr Saroj Gupta Hospital, Kolkata. Before the diagnosis, Rishap lived in Ranchi, Jharkhand, with his parents and his younger brother Tanmay,  but had to move to Kolkata for treatment. “Right now, he misses his school, playing and his little brother,” says his mother.

 Rishap’s treatment wasn’t the only thing that worried his parents; they also had to pay rent in Kolkata, which was quite a bit to take care of with their Ranchi income. Being the sole breadwinner of the family, his dad had to move back home for work, leaving behind mother and son in Kolkata. “His treatment has forced us into quite a lot of debt but we’re doing whatever it takes to get our son back on his feet.” 

That’s when Cuddles’ FoodHeals Program was a significant relief to the family. “Rishap was diagnosed with T-Cell Leukaemia at the age of 6 years, but he looked like a 4-year-old because of malnutrition”, says Rosy Sarkar, Cuddles Nutritionist at Saroj Gupta.  “It is a proven fact that a nutritionally healthy child can tolerate chemotherapy much better than a malnourished child; resulting in favourable outcomes. Fortunately, with meticulous supplement planning, Rishap regained enough weight to start treatment.”

Rosy, along with Rishap’s mother, worked hard on his diet so that he could gain enough weight and health to prepare him for the treatment’s side-effects. Besides supplements, he was also put on our ration program. “Having access to different pulses, rice, flour, helps me prepare him meals that he likes,” says Rishap’s mom. When asked what’s the one thing that she would want most, Rishap’s mom says, “I just want him to recover soon, go to school and play with his younger brother!” 

Rishap is currently on treatment and still 3-4 months away from full recovery. Thanks to your support, children like Rishap have the opportunity to get better, complete their education and fulfil their dreams.