Bravehearts of the Foundation: Mahisha Sri
September 5, 2019 | Contributed by R Srivatsan
Mahisha Sri, only a year old is a little girl who was born on 13th April 2018 in the district of Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu. At birth she weighed 2.6kg and her parents Senthil and Saritha were elated about having a baby girl!
Mahisha has an elder brother who is eight years old and studies in Class III at a nearby Government school. The family struggle on a meagre income of Rs 4000 per month which Senthil earns with hard work as a farmer. Saritha keeps the family together by dedicating all her time and love towards her children as they grow as a housewife.Little Mahisha was born in N M Hospital and on the first day of life itself a congenital heart defect was detected as she was struggling with her breath. The family were referred to RK Hospital in Thanjavur where Dr Mani Ram Krishna from Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi visits. After an Echo was conducted the diagnosis was clear, the baby girl was suffering from Tetralogy of Fallot. She was prescribed an open-heart surgery which would be the only saving grace in bringing this baby’s health back to safety.Saritha and Senthil had to be counselled as they were initially unwilling to get their daughter operated on because of sheer fear, which as a parent is understandable. It took a little bit of time, but they finally reached a realization that the surgery was imperative. The family were advised surgery in early August 2019 and the total cost of surgery was high, approximately Rs 2.4 Lakhs (USD 2940). Dr Maju Matthews MD based in the United States was eager to extend his support towards Saving Little Hearts. His son Nikhil and his two friends Jacob and Carolyn, studying in Grade 12 put in all their efforts to raise funds for our little Mahisha all the way over in India. Senthil and Saritha managed with a lot of difficulty to arrange Rs 44,000 (USD 650) towards their little girls’ intervention, but they still needed Rs 1.6 Lakhs (USD 2350) to give their daughter a fair fight. Nikhil, Jacob and Carolyn raised the entire remainder amount and with their support we were able to commit and save Mahisha’s life.We are so grateful that young hearts from half-way across the world have pledged with us to make a difference to the little hearts in need in India.From your heart to theirs, every gesture goes a long way to changing a future for an entire family.
The surgery has been done and she is recovering well back at home. Her first follow-up is due in September for which the family will see Dr Mani Ram Krishna from Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi who conducts a monthly outreach clinic in their vicinity.
