In a quiet home in Ananthapur, Andhra Pradesh, 4-year-old Vaibhavnath was growing up surrounded by love, laughter, and dreams of starting school. But those plans were shaken when he was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a high-risk cancer that attacks nerve tissue.
His parents, who are both farmers, were devastated. The word “cancer” felt like a life sentence. But instead of giving in, they packed their bags and travelled to our partner hospital, determined to do everything in their power to save their child.
When our nutritionist, Mula Lakshmi, first met Vaibhavnath in August 2024 at IPD, his condition was fragile. He was moderately undernourished, quite weak, and unable to take in food orally. The medical team were preparing for an intense phase of treatment, including an autologous bone marrow transplant (BMT).
“At Cuddles, our experience over the years has taught us how these intense phases of treatment can affect a child’s food intake and severely impact their nutritional status. Anticipating this, we proactively began feeding him through a nasogastric (NG) tube,” recalls Mula.
Alongside the medical treatment, Vaibhavnath was enrolled in Cuddles FoodHeals™ Program, receiving in-meals at the hospital, monthly ration support, and nutritional supplements. Slowly, his body began to respond, his energy returned, and his appetite improved. Over the next several months, his nutritional status improved, and he became well nourished. This improvement significantly strengthened his ability to tolerate surgeries and helped in recovery after BMT.
During the initial weeks of admission, the prognosis looked grim. Doctors feared the worst. But Tejaswini, his mother, held onto her faith in her child and in the team supporting him. “Doctors told us the outlook wasn’t good, but we always believed he would recover,” she said.
The family faced many challenges, both emotional and financial. As farmers, their resources were limited. However, our FoodHeals™ program provided quality meals not only for Vaibhavnath but for his entire family.
They followed every instruction meticulously, from managing NG feeds to understanding his dietary needs. Over time, their efforts paid off.
“We saw him get stronger with each passing day. The NG feeds were a turning point. I’m grateful to all the doctors and Cuddles team for guiding us so patiently,” says Tejaswini.
Nutrition played a quiet but powerful role in Vaibhavnath’s recovery, helping him manage treatment side effects, build strength for surgery and BMT, and transition from NG feeds to a healthy, well-nourished state. One of his proudest moments was walking into the Nutrition OPD to see how much he had grown, a sign of how far he had come in his healing journey. Today, back in Ananthapur and full of energy, he has taken his first steps into school and dreams of joining the Army one day. His family’s message to others walking this path is clear: never lose hope. Nutrition, alongside medicine, can change a child’s life.
Why Your Support Matters
Every time you help feed a child like Vaibhavnath, you give families more than nutrition, you give them courage, dignity, and the strength to fight another day. Right now, there are more children waiting for that chance.
Feed a child like Vaibhavnath. Help more families hold on to hope.
Feed a child like Vaibhavnath
