“Ma’am take four big steps forward and two to your left – this is the size of my house, even if I sell it I can’t hope to pay for my daughter’s treatment”After getting help from every possible source he could think of, Javed has started a fundraiser on Ketto.org so he can pay for his daughter’s treatment and give her a normal childhood outside of hospitals.
His eyes swell up, I try to console him, knowing very well that the attempt is futile, my gaze shifts to the backdrop where a labyrinth of colourful doors make up the Jogeshwari chawl, I cannot help but wonder, which door houses the story of this 28-year-old father and his young family. I met Javed Malik on a hot summer morning just before his daily commute for work, he looks distraught and anxious and almost immediately pulls out a red folder from his bag, urging me to read his daughters reports. I take a look, there is much of it I don’t understand, but a few words in capitals drive home the gravitas of his situation.
He informs me how his world changed a few months ago, specifically on 1st March a few weeks short of his daughters 4th birthday. Aliya woke up in the morning with a swollen abdomen and complaints of acute pain. A few tests and one sonography later the doctor informed Javed and his wife that Aliya was diagnosed with Intra Abd Neuroblastoma + BM Involvement- words that meant almost nothing to him.
Neuroblastoma – a cancer of the nerve cells + BM involvement – bone marrow involvement signifies that the cancer is at is most malignant and advanced stage. In a bid to authenticate Javed’s plea for financial support on Ketto.org – Aliya’s oncologist has written a note on his letter head that verifies his claims and reinstates the urgency of his demands. Javed roams with a few copies of this letter in his pocket this he says has helped him a lot – “people know that I am serious”.“All I know for sure are three things- it is cancer, it is very serious and the treatment requires a lot of money” – he tells me.“We named her after the actress Alia Bhatt thinking she will shine bright and make a name for herself, little did we know what fate had in store for her, I continue to work hard and provide for my family, my job gives me peace of mind, our home is filled with the laughter and cries of our daughter. We cannot imagine life without her and we are prepared to do the best for her every day all the while hoping for a miracle”.The approximate cost of treatment is Rs 12,00,000. Your small contribution on Ketto.org can help reduce Javed’s financial woes and award the best treatment for his daughter Aliya.
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