Fight Leukemia
My name is Vikash Kushwaha**. I am 26 years old,** and just like many young men from small towns, I left my home in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, to work in another city so I could support my family and give them a better life. I carried dreams in my heart to earn well, to reduce my father’s burden, and to build a secure future for all of us. Life was not easy, but I was strong and determined. In September 2024, I started experiencing small health issues: constant fatigue, weakness, unexplained weight loss, frequent headaches, and occasional fever. I ignored them at first, thinking it was just stress from work and long hours. But my condition slowly worsened. I began feeling exhausted even after minimal effort. Simple daily tasks became difficult. When I finally underwent detailed tests, my world shattered. At AIIMS Gorakhpur, I was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML), a type of blood cancer. The reports showed extremely high white blood cell counts and a positive BCR-ABL test confirming CML. Doctors told me that I am currently in the chronic (first) stage, which means it is treatable if I continue proper and timely medication without interruption. But they also warned that missing treatment or delaying medicines can push the disease into a dangerous phase, which may require hospitalisation and can even become life-threatening. After my diagnosis, I lost my job. No employer was willing to keep someone who needed frequent hospital visits and ongoing medical care. For the last two years, I have been using all my savings for medical tests, consultations, and medicines. I tried to work whenever my health allowed, doing whatever small jobs I could manage, just to survive and continue treatment. But now my condition has reached a borderline stage where I am too weak to continue working consistently. My savings are exhausted. There is nothing left. This disease has not only attacked my body; it has taken away my stability, my job, and my peace of mind. My family depends on me, but today I am the one who needs help. Doctors have clearly said that if I continue proper treatment, I have a strong chance to live a normal life again. But without financial support, continuing this life-saving treatment is becoming impossible. I am standing at a point where timely medicine means life and delay means serious danger. Today, I am reaching out with folded hands. I am not asking for luxury or comfort. I am asking for a chance to live. A chance to fight. A chance to become healthy again and support my family like I once dreamed.
