Ahmedabad ’s samaritans come to rescue of abandoned children

While society is still grappling with the problem of abandonment of the newborn girl child, another cause for disowning children has come to light.  

Families are disowning children who have defects and diseases as they don't have the means to treat them. In two recent cases in the city's hospitals, a nine-year-old cancer patient and a six-month-old boy born with facial deformities were disowned by their families. Humanitarian efforts of an NGO and a doctor helped the boys survive.

The right leg of Roshan Nepali was recently amputated at Gujarat Cancer Research Institute's MP Shah Cancer Hospital to save him from end-stage ankle bone cancer. Nepali's parents, natives of Nepal, knocked the doors of hospitals in Delhi and Mumbai before coming to Ahmedabad in search of a correct diagnosis and treatment.

He was admitted to the hospital last November and oncologist Dr Mandip Shah advised amputation. The child's family refused to take the responsibility of caring for a physically challenged child. However, the boy's mother, Ratna Nepali, stood by him.
"Roshan was operated upon and given radiotherapy and chemotherapy for three months at the hospital, thanks to the initiative and support of the NGO Karuna Kare Foundation," said Ushakant Shah who is associated with the NGO.

The NGO went a step further and adopted Nepali who underwent corrective surgery last week to fix the Jaipur foot which has helped him become mobile once again. "The foundation adopted the child as his family denied him financial support and mercilessly abandoned both mother and kid," said Shah. The foundation has a five-year support plan to assist them, including aid for Roshan's education.

"It is sad that the kid and his mother were left in the lurch by their family due to financial constraints. Our NGO provides financial assistance to needy cancer patients. Awareness of this may prevent families from breaking up," added Shah.

In another case, Krish Soni from Radhanpur, Patan was born with severe facial deformities. Mother and child were thrown out of the house. Dr Hemen Jaju, a craniofacial plastic surgeon, operated on the infant and corrected the anomalies.

"The mother and baby were disowned by their family as they were unaware that some infants are born with physical abnormalities due to biological defects and with corrective surgeries such defects can be removed," said Dr Jaju.

Dr Jaju not only corrected the deformity with clapped palate surgery, but also made efforts to reunite the family. "He did not charge for the surgery, hospitalisation and medication. He also explained the case medically to my in-laws.  Due to his intervention, the family has accepted us back," said Krish's mother with gratitude.