By IANS,
New Delhi : A day after IANS reported on 17-year-old Shehnaz, who spent over a month outside the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, help poured in from across the country for the terminally-ill bone tuberculosis (TB) patient.
Hopes had faded for the Patna-based family after doctors at AIIMS told them to take Shehnaz back home as there was “no hope left for her life”.
Shehnaz has been visiting AIIMS every three months since 2002. Before that, she was admitted to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for three years.
She had been battling with lung TB, that had later developed into bone TB. Her family has been reduced to penury after paying for her treatment.
Moved by her plight, readers have emailed from all parts of the country to offer monetary and medical help.
“We cannot leave this helpless girl in the hands of fate. Please let us all make a common contributory fund and try to help this helpless family out,” wrote Anik Chowdhury from West Bengal.
Readers can contact Shehnaz’s father Kamruddin, a fruit vendor, on his mobile phone 09801971054 .
Readers can also recharge his phone as he does not have money even for that.
“Hard to control tears…If there is way that we can help this family to pay their debt, please let me know. I would like to contribute,” a reader Sushant wrote.
Abhishek, a Patna-based doctor, even contacted Kamruddin, who will be visiting his hospital later this week.
“I will do my best to help the family,” Abhishek added.
Another good Samaritan wrote a mail to the news agency saying: “I am willing to document the girl’s medical history and send to all the charitable hospitals and voluntary organisations I know.”
Arif Mohammed, a reader from Germany, wrote: “I hail from Ranchi, Jharkhand. Please let me know if it is possible to get any kind of contact address or number for her family. It will be great if you could help me in getting touch with the family.”