pra00in’s blog

In need of help: Praveen Kumar is now being treated at St John’s Hospital for kidney failure

Praveen Kumar (24) sold idlis by the roadside and delivered newspapers and milk to pay for his school fees. He managed to complete his BE to become an engineer. But fate ruled otherwise. Before he could get a job, both his kidneys failed and he is now unable to pay for the treatment.

A life of misery

Praveen thought once he becomes an engineer he would be able to bring his family out of poverty. “My daddy is a daily wage worker. He is a cook in a factory and earns Rs 125 per day and I have a younger brother and sister. We have faced difficulties throughout. To pay our school fees my brother and I used to go with our mother to sell idlis on the footpath. We delivered milk and newspapers in the morning. I thought that if I studied I
could defeat all difficulties. But it was not so,” said Praveen.

In 2004, when Praveen was studying engineering degree at Tumkur, he found
that he had renal problems. “At first it was not properly diagnosed and
the doctors at my hometown Kolar experimented on me. This worsened my
condition. I was unable to attend exams and took a longer time to
complete my course because of my ailments. Now, when I have the degree
in my hand, both my kidneys have failed and I am on dialysis,” he said.

Praveen has already taken Rs 3 lakh loan for his treatment and is finding it very difficult to bear the expenses.
 
His mother has come forward to donate one of her kidneys, but they are
unable to bear the expenses for the surgery and treatment. 

“My younger brother who is also an engineer has just started working and
gets Rs 10,000 a month. Of this, he sends over Rs 5,000 home. He has
also taken loans and used credit cards for my treatment. Further treatment is unaffordable, ” he said.

Treatment

Doctors at St John’s Medical College, where he is undergoing treatment, have said that the cost for the renal transplant and surgery would be around Rs 1.5 to Rs 1.8 lakh. Subsequently, the
cost of immunosuppressive drugs would be around Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000
month for the first two years and after that the cost would come down
to Rs 10,000 to 12,000 per month. “This is just beyond our reach,” he
said.

People can help him by sending their mite in favour of
Praveen Kumar (Hospital No 1852789), c/o The Associate Director
Hospital, St John’s Medical College Hospital, Bangalore 560034.