Personal Stories
Here is a glimpse of some of the amazing stories these brave children and their parents are living each day. These short pieces are written by volunteers and visitors who come to learn more about the work of the Ring and interact with the children and their families.

Prema Nandhini
6 year old Premanandini from Pondicherry came to us last Novemeber with retinoblastoma. She joined the ring and now after 3 cycles has been completely cured! Her parents are naturally overjoyed as for Prema whose cheerfulness and courage captivated doctors and nurses alike- she can hardly wait for two things to happen; being back in school and having her hair grow back again! … (more) Thanks again to all who helped make a                           difference. [ more... ]

Jeyanthi
Everyone who encounters Jayanthi is convinced that they’ve met the next Lata Mangeshkar. Nurses stop by on their rounds to request their favorite tunes; patients from neighboring wards saunter in to bask in the warmth created by her cheerful singing. And for this 3-year old -- despite the IV tubes and chemotherapy to treat the cancer in her only remaining eye -- happy tunes seem to pour out spontaneously, some even while she is sleeping. Though a career in music seems only natural for this gifted child, her grandmother Vellathi proudly tells us that Jayanthi has already articulated her plans. “She says she wants to go to school and become a teacher so that she can earn money for her father, who is a laborer.” Vellathi adds that Jayanthi is only too impatient to go back home and start school. Yet she is at a loss at what to say when she hears Jayanthi’s familiar refrain: “Patti, when will I get well?” [ more... ]

Kavitha
On first glance, the strong and sturdy frame of this 8-year-old seems to belie any medical affliction. Yet, as her father Ramesh, a farmer, explains to us in broken Tamil, the cancer, which had first affected only one eye, has now spread to both her eyes and to her brain. Stroking her ankle gently to aid to flow of IV liquid, he tells us that Kavitha has already been through 32 radiation treatments. Upon closer inspection, the clumps of thin, wispy hair, her glass eyes and sedated manner testify to the challenges that this little girl has been through. When asked about how he came to hear about Aravind Eye Hospital, Ramesh, who never seemed to lose his peaceful smile, told us that their local doctor from their village in Andhra Pradesh (a neighboring Indian state), referred them to doctors in Madras, and then Vellore, until they finally arrived at Aravind. With family so far away and financial difficulties, I ask Ramesh at how he’s able to not only cope but maintain an inner peace through it all. Looking lovingly at his daughter, who rarely takes her eyes off the IV bottle, he tells us that at Aravind he’s found not only treatment for his daughter but also a strong anchor of emotional support; as for the financial troubles, he’s convinced that the most important thing is for his daughter to get well, and all else will follow. [ more... ]

Anand
With his one remaining eye, four-year-old Anand stares at me blankly as I caress his thin, emaciated hand. His father Murugan, Anand’s sole caretaker during the treatment, solemnly tells us that Anand hasn’t smiled even once in the last 4 months. What’s even more worrying, he adds, is that Anand hardly eats anything. While his wife would like to come and help take care of Anand, she has been unable to because she needs to be at to take care of their remaining two children and her mother-in-law. With tears flecking his eyes, Murugan looks kindly at Anand and admits to us that they are unable to afford the treatment costs, and have financed the treatment by borrowing from local creditors who often charge exhorbitant lending rates. What’s more is that, owing to the constant care that Anand requires, Murugan has been unable to work and earn his own salary as a laborer, which amounts to about Rs.150 ($3) a day. Despite these hurdles that would have deterred even the best of us, Murugan reminds us, “if we lose hope, what else remains?” [ more... ]