30-yr-old to undergo surgery to remove left lung; TB survivors launch crowd-funding campaign to help
Pune resident Debshree, a 30-year-old architect, was hit by tuberculosis (TB) of the lungs six years ago. A trained classical dancer and a district-level hockey player, her TB eventually progressed to Extremely Drug-Resistant TB (XXDR-TB), and at her worst, she weighed only 28 kg.
“Haphazard treatment left her resistant to most drugs and damaged her left lung to such an extent that even after a course of last-resort drugs like Bedaquiline and Delamanid, she will require a left lung pneumonectomy,” said Dr Zarir Udwadia, a consultant chest physician at Hinduja Hospital. A renowned TB expert, Dr Udwadia was the first to discover Totally Drug-Resistant TB (TDR-TB) in 2011, which attracted international media and scientific attention from across the globe.
On May 29, Debshree, who requested that we withhold her full name, will be wheeled into the operation theatre at PD Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai to have her left lung removed. The surgery will cost her about Rs 4 lakh.
Excising the lung would mean a compromised life, but the surgery is a must to save her life. Her left lung is fully-scarred and her right lung has a 4-per cent patch that can be handled with medication.
“Over the six years, my family spent up to Rs 27 lakh for my treatment,” Debshree said, while speaking to DNA over a messaging service. Three years into the treatment, injections such as Kanamycin and Capreomycin caused permanent hearing loss. A cochlear implant to regain lost hearing cost her family up to Rs 25 lakh.
But despite the implants, it’s not possible for Debshree to talk over the phone. “The cochlear device needs an accessory to connect via bluetooth to the phone. I intend to buy it with my next salary. It costs Rs 25,000,” she said.
For now, what’s crucial is the funds needed for her lung removal surgery. TB survivors have initiated a crowd-funding campaign (https://milaap.org/fundraisers/Urgent-TB-Surgery) to help her. “We belong to a middle-class family. My father was a business partner in a small-scale food factory and my mother was a principal in a design college. They put all their savings into my treatment. We are trying very hard to raise funds for the surgery now,” she said.
While TB has cost her hearing, and now a lung, Debshree hasn’t lost hope. “I still sing so I may have some music in my life. Three months ago, I even managed to dance at a family wedding. These are small steps, which I know will someday lead me back to dancing,” she said.
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