Balangir: While children of his age are going to school and living a normal life, the future of a fourteen year old teen with eye cancer seems to be in dark with his condition deteriorating each passing day. His parents being daily wagers can do nothing but curse their fate.
Affected of eye cancer, the boy cannot even step out of his small room in his thatched house. He is forced to remain confined with the four walls as he cannot open his eyes to the strong rays of sun.
This is the plight of Ajit Thapa (14), son of daily labourer, Bhagirathi Thapa of Jamutia village under Loisingha block in this district. While children of his age are having all the fun, Ajit has already lost vision in one of his eye and a tumour has been growing in the other. Despite treatment, there has been no improvement in Ajit’s health condition.
According to family members, Ajit was affected of eyesight problem since his birth. Assuming it would get well with time, his family members initially avoided it. However, when his condition worsened when he was at the age of two, they admitted him to Burla-based VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), where he underwent a surgery in 2006.
The surgery, however, failed to restore his eyesight completely. Later, he underwent another surgery two years later but even that did not help.
“His health condition is deteriorating and he falls unconscious many times in a day,” said his father Bhagirathi as tears rolled down his eyes. He cursed himself that he was not able to afford expensive eye treatment for Ajit.
“I’m the only man in Earth who is not able to do anything for his son. I cannot see him in this painful condition every day,” Bhagirathi cried.
By now, Bhagirathi has mortgaged all his lands for his son’s treatment. He goes from door to door to collect money from some good Samaritans.
”The treatment is very expensive and the funds are not sufficient. I need more money for the treatment,” Bhagirathi said. Earlier, he had approached the administration after which Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), Sugyanendra Mishra, had sent Ajit to LV Prasad Eye Hospital in Bhubaneswar for treatment this year.
After several eye tests, doctor at the hospital found that Ajit was suffering from eye cancer.
“We will send him again to the hospital for another surgery soon,” the CDMO Mishra said.
PNN
