Manasi Rai
Age : 8 years
Place : Patna, Bihar (1030 miles from Mumbai)
Manasi is an extremely positive and happy child whose smile hardly ever leaves her face. She is a dancer and is known as ‘Dancing Queen’ among family and friends. Manasi and her family has been living at the Access Life center from January 2021.
Fighting Cancer
Mansi always faced a certain pain in her legs since her childhood but the family never visited a doctor thinking it was due to her dance practice. But as Mansi got older, the pain got worse, and so, the family took her to an Orthopaedic Doctor. After a few inconclusive initial test, an MRI scan was carried out and a Bone Tumour was detected (Sarcoma). The family than went to Patna for further treatment and admitted the child to Mahavir Center. Her treatment went well for about a year and Manasi showed signs of improvement and was back on her feet.
However, in November 2020, her parents noticed a swelling in her mouth and visited a dentist. The medicines prescribed by the dentist proved to be ineffective. The dentist conducted further tests and suspected cancer. The parents then went back to Patna, where it was confirmed that Mansi had blood cancer. The family immediately travelled from Patna to Mumbai for treatment.
In Mumbai, Manasi underwent Bone Marrow Transplant, with her father being the donor. Manasi did not respond well to the transplant. She developed a graft versus host disease and an infection. She wasn’t even responding to the drugs and the family was on the verge of giving up. But the team of doctors aad Manasi mother’s dedicated support and care eventually turned things around. Manasi recovered and was back at the center to recuperate.
Challenges
The family is not very well off and faced a lot of financial difficulties paying for the treatment even before the family reached Mumbai. The family had to take loans so that they could come over to Mumbai. They did not have any acquaintances in Mumbai and this proved to be very challenging in the initial days in Mumbai. Unaware of the living costs in Mumbai and the availability of cheaper accommodation, the family put up at a hotel that cost them about $20 a day. The family could not continue living at the hotel and soon Manasi’s father had to sleep on the pavement outside the hospital. During the Bone Marrow Transplant, Manasi’s father initially refused to be the donor because he was unaware of the procedure and felt it would put him at a health risk too. A few sessions of counselling helped him become aware of the procedure and he agreed.
Give the gift of health to Manasi
Thanks to generous donors like you, Manasi Rai has been adopted and their needs will be taken care of for the duration of their treatment.
