Success Stories:
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
-William James
The following children are feeling much better because of you and your generous donations towards life-saving surgery. On behalf of the kids, thank you.
Through awareness campaigns, Links Preschool, and daily contact with at risk communities, Links is able to identify children with serious, often fatal medical conditions. Below is a sampling of the children Links has been able to support through donations. The outcomes of their quality medical treatment are incredible. Links connect families with medical treatment, and supports and advocates for these underserved families during the entire medical treatment process; from identification and diagnosis, to appropriate hospital/doctor identification, to surgery fundraising, to attending all doctors appointments, to after surgery care and necessary follow up. It is time consuming and often exhausting work for everyone involved, but the outcome is literally life changing.
Please consider sponsoring life-saving medical care for a child. Email Linkscharitabletrust@gmail.com for trust account details.
Fatima
When Links was asked to help, Fatima was a 4 month-old baby girl born in a blue tent in Munnekolla. She was dehydrated and had been sick for 10 days. Links encouraged the family to take her to a local emergency room, but the family was new to Bangalore, and was afraid. Concerned that the baby would die before her arrival at a government hospital, Links took her to the closest hospital, which was private and expensive.
Upon arrival in the ER, Fatima was very sick. Several doctors tried and failed to get an IV started to rehydrate her. Through the insertion of an IV through the bone marrow in her leg, she was able to receive life-saving IV fluid and medicines. Links continues to follow up with Fatima and her family, providing nutritional counseling, and NAN formula/milk powder as needed. She is now a healthy and happy 6 month old.
Mariyam
In June 2018 Mariyam, a toddler from Munnekollal waste management site diagnosed with a congenital and often fatal heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, had successful surgery to repair her heart. After a short stay in the hospital, she was released to a temporary shelter where she recovered in sanitary and healthy conditions. Now that her heart is fixed, she never sits still! Her parents jokingly complain about the fact that she is constantly running. When she wasn't able to breathe because of her condition, all she could do was sit, and now she is busy making up for lost time! Her parents have the pleasure of chasing around a healthy, strong, and happy toddler. Through the Links Charitable Trust Ketto campaign enough funds were donated to pay for the entire surgery as well as nourishing food for her recovery.
Noamia
While working in a migrant camp in Nagawarapalya, the Links Team met Noamia and her parents. Noamia was a 14 month old girl whose parents kept her mostly at home because she was born with a clef palate, which meant that the entire family was socially ostracized. Noamia was significantly malnourished; her open palate was preventing her from being able to successfully eat or drink. Through months of relationship building with Noamia's mother her parents were eventually convinced that the surgery would be life-changing for her.
On the first trip to Trinity Care Foundation, Links was told that the surgery would not take place because Noamia was too malnourished. Through her parents careful attention to nutrition and nutritional education, over the next several weeks, she was able to gain enough weight to be able to have the surgery. In January 2018 Noemia had a successful lip reconstruction. In January 2019 she had a successful palate reconstruction surgery. She is now a healthy and happy toddler who loves to look at pictures of her journey.
Moyna
Links met Moyna in June 2018. Finding a diagnosis and treatment for her was no small task. Links advocated for her in 5 different hospitals, from government to private, consulting with various doctors and NGO’s. In addition to the severe TB which caused the degradation of her joints resulting in implants, she also had a hysterectomy and an appendectomy. A few of the hospitals thought that her implant was infected as her leg was swollen, bleeding and she was in incredible pain. One private hospital said it would cost $10,000 US to treat her. At a government (free) hospital after 8 hours of waiting in pain, she had still not been seen. The next hospital diagnosed her as having a vascular issue, and a possible tumor in her abdomen, and the orthopedic surgeon on her case refused to treat her. The vascular specialist at the next hospital said it was not a vascular issue. The orthopedic surgeon there said he could operate, but it would cost $30,000 US. In the middle of the night the hospital discharged her, inaccurately said she had checked out without medical consent, and sent her home. Links requested that Bangalore Hospice Trust admit her for palliative care, but without a cancer diagnosis that was impossible. BHT referred Links to Baptist Palliative Care Unit, which treated her in her home with wound care and medicine, but was only able to see her once every 15 days.
Through Links' supporters, Snehadaan Hospice was recommended. They were compassionate, clean and competent. They provided Moyna with pain medication and wound care. Finally, Moyna is stable, and relatively pain free, and her wound is no longer bleeding. She is back home in her community with her family, and is able to walk with the help of a crutch.
Shamila
Links met Shamila in November 2017 at a health camp held in her neighborhood when she was under 1 years old. She was severely malnourished, and her mom asked for our assistance. Links supported Shamila and her mother during several visits to a local hospital for careful monitoring, nutritional supplements, and nutritional counseling.
Links continues to follow up with Shamila and her mother, and currently she is a healthy toddler who loves to play with her brothers and sisters, and has a brand new baby sister.
Ishan
Ishan’s family moved to Bangalore in search of life-saving surgery for their 2 year old son who had been diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, a serious, congenital, and often fatal heart condition. They visited all the government hospitals in Bangalore, but were told by hospitals and administrators over and over that they would not take his case. One hospital finally agreed to do the surgery, but the cost was $2500 US. The surgery was high risk but without it Ishan’s chance of survival was none. Through the generosity of Links’ donors, the money was raised and in December 2018 Ishan had a successful surgery. Today he is a healthy and thriving little boy, and the family has returned to their village.
Inteeaz
When Links met Inteaz he was a one-year old boy who suffered from severe ichthyosis, a congenital skin disorder. He migrated to Bangalore with his mother to seek medical treatment. She lost her first son, at the same age from the same disease, and was fiercely committed to saving Inteeaz.
Inteeaz had never received immunizations or other treatment. His entire body is covered with broad, dark, plate-like scales separated by deep cracks. His eyelids and lips are forced open by the tightness of the skin. When Links met him he suffered from bronchitis and acute malnutrition.
Unfortunately, there's no known cure for ichthyosis. However, with Links help, he is under the care of a pediatrician and ophthalmologist with his treatment goal being the management of his condition with moisturizers, keratolytics, and retinoids. The cost of his treatment for 15 days is about 1400 INR.
Together with the treatment, Links also closely monitors his weight and skin on a weekly basis, and provides nutritional supplements, vitamins and nutritional counseling. Although his weight has increased, and his skin is now better, Inteeaz is still very fragile and at risk for infection.
Saiful
Links met Saiful over 2 years ago during a regular health visit. He was severely malnourished, underweight, and his parents complained about frequent sicknesses. He didn’t seem to be growing even after Links provided nutrition education for the parents and nutritional supplements.
Links brought Saiful and his family to a local hospital where another case of Tetralogy of Fallot was revealed. The doctors said that the hole in his heart was small enough to close on its own. Saiful was given multivitamins, iron, and calcium, and was monitored by Links for over a year without improvement. At this point the family moved back to their village of origin because Saiful’s father was burned in a serious accident and his mother was pregnant with their third child. The family returned to Munnekollal a few months ago, and Links reconnected with them during Links’ routine health visit. At this point Saiful had recently recovered from typhoid and was still undernourished.
Links arranged a visit to another hospital to obtain more recent reports, which resulted in the doctors saying that Saiful is fine and doesn't need surgery for TOF. Neither the family nor Links was convinced as the child was clearly sick. A third opinion was obtained at another hospital, and the doctors there were confident that Saiful needed surgery to close the hole in his heart. The hole had decreased in size but at a very slow rate. Because of this, Saiful was very vulnerable to infections and diseases, which are frequent in the waste management site.
In December of 2019, Saiful had a successful surgery for TOF. He is recovering well with regular nursing care to prevent infection. He is now able to attend Links Preschool regularly.