But family of 1-yr old boy, weighing 17 kg, can't afford travel or injection costing Rs 60 lakh
He is just a year old, but his weight has already crossed 17 kg.
Fighting a rare obesity disease, Shreejit Hingankar's hopes now rest on a costly medication – priced around Rs 60 lakh – for which he has to be flown to England.
The Pune-based family, which is struggling to meet both ends meet, has none other than Good Samaritans to fall back upon when it comes to raising funds.
Shreejit's rare condition, Leptin Gene mutation/deficiency, does not have a cure in India. According to doctors, Shreejit needs to be given Leptin shots, which are available only in England. His father Amol works as a temporary helper at a private firm in Pune. Doctors are hoping to raise funds through NGOs and corporate houses. dna, on November 12, had reported the plight of Shreejit.
Shreejit started putting on weight at an abnormal rate a fortnight after his birth. The family consulted several doctors before meeting Dr Shashank Shah, a bariatric surgeon in Pune. He was not in favour of a surgery and sent Shreejit to Mumbai for second opinion.
In October, after landing in Mumbai, Shreejit's family met several doctors, including Dr Parag Tamhankar, divisional head at Parel-based Genetic Research Centre, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health (NIRRH).
Tamhankar conducted a Leptin Receptor Deficiency (LRD) test on Shreejit and found that he suffered from Leptin Gene Mutation and it had led to the deficiency of leptin hormone in the boy. Fortunately, the leptin receptors were found to be normal.
According to doctors, Shreejit can be partly treated with leptin injections which are very expensive and required to be taken throughout his life. Leptin shots will reduce his hunger and improve metabolism.
“We don't have the money to treat our child. However, doctors are trying hard to collect funds from Good Samaritans and well-wishers. We can only pray to god. Last four months were a nightmare for us,” said Amol, father of Shreejit.
“We are hoping that everything will go smooth. Now we are busy collecting documents for passports. After that, we will apply for visas. Doctors here are corresponding with doctors in England,” he added, with a worried-looking wife Roopali by his side.
Dr Shashank Shah, former president of the Obesity Surgery Society of India (OBSSI) and bariatric surgeon, says, “This is a new case to me, and I had to approach various pharma companies in England. One of the company has the medicine. But the patient needs to be personally present for taking the injection as they don't export such injection. Recently only, we got the report from the NIRRH. We will decide the treatment in accordance with it,” he said.
He added, “Now the parents of Shreejit are busy with documentation for passports. Once that is done, we will fly to England for consultation. The company has also asked me to arrange for a dedicated pediatrician who can take care of Shreejit, once he is back in India.”
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