There are some situations which move you to the core. One such situation is that of a hapless father of a beautiful 3-year-old girl, who has been diagnosed with end-stage heart disease and the only way she can survive is through a new heart transplant. For close to a year now, Mumbai-based Yogesh Mule, father of Aaradhya, has been running from pillar to post to get a donor heart for her, but to no avail. And, now, even the doctors have told him that time is running out fast for him. Mule speaks to My Medical Mantra’s correspondent Drishti Mishra and narrates the ordeal he and his family is going through.
Today (January 31, 2017), was a rare day in my life, which brought a hint of smile and a rare glimmer of hope, when my phone rang and I came to know that there could be a chance that my daughter my finally get a donor heart. However, the hope and joy were short-lived as the child, who’s heart was to be harvested died.
There is still not clarity whether the parents were approached for the heart donation or they refused. But the fact remains, that, if there was proper awareness in our society with regards to organ donation and how it can save lives, my Aaradhya would have surely got a donor heart for the last one year.
I always pray and hope that no father is ever put in a situation that I find myself in today.
In my relentless efforts to save my daughter, I have been running from pillar to pillar for almost a year. I also took to the twitter platform to seek Union External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj’s help, hoping that she will help me find a suitable donor heart for my daughter.
Like any other happy family, we were also living happy and enjoyable life, till we got the biggest shock of our lives on April 8, 2016.
At around 4 am on that day, Aaradhya complained of severe stomach ache and started vomiting. We took her to doctor and she was immediately admitted in ICU and that’s when life hit us hard. Doctors told us that she was at the end-stage of heart diseases and the only way to save her was a heart transplant.
I cannot explain the feeling when our small world collapsed right in front of our eyes.
Since April 2016, Aaradhya has to be admitted in hospital for at least 15 days every month. There has been not a single day when I and my wife Pratibha have not cried.
I have been to various doctors and hospitals to beg for my little one’s life.
From morning till night I and my wife just have one thing our mind i.e ‘a hope for a heart’. Each day we wish that some miracle happens and my daughter is saved.
My heart pains when I see Aardhaya having heavy dose of medicines four times a day and that too two / three medicines each time.
Before my daughter got diagnosed, she used to run around everywhere and play for hours like any other kid. But now she cannot as she suffers from breathlessness and with heavy dose of medicine and treatment she is unable to be active like earlier.
Her struggle haunts me each day. It’s been a year, I haven’t slept. When I and my wife have conversation, we have only one topic to talk, which is Aaradhya’s heart.
I have prayed to each and every God for a miracle. I have never given up hope till date. I can go anywhere across the country for a heart for my daughter.
All this while we have been lucky that everyone has been cooperative and supported us morally, be it family members, doctors or well-wishers.
Aaradhya is very fond of chocolates and pickles, but sadly she cannot have them. She always asks the question ‘Why’ and ‘When’. She often looks at my wife and asks why I cannot have and when can I have. Even in my worst nightmares I had never imagined that my daughter will have to go through this.
She has been my lucky charm, when she was born my business took a successful turn. Now as a parent I want to be my daughter’s lucky charm and take away her struggle.
Our life has completely STOPPED. It has become a painful journey, where we struggle every day for my daughter’s heart.
My little baby will get second lease of life, if someone donates the organ. With folded hands I plead everyone to create awareness for organ donation to save my baby’s life.