“The hands that serve are holier than the lips that pray”. This great saying by Indian spiritual icon Sai Baba—widely venerated by devotees in India—reminds us  that we need to help people in need. The story of three and half years old Gaveena Bandara, who appeals for life, needs to touch the hearts of people.

Gaveena is suffering from Thalassaemia major condition and her life now depends on a Haplo-identical donor bone marrow transplant for Transfusion dependent Thalassaemia. This surgery is the only way to save her life. Currently Gaveena is undergoing pre-transplant work up.  Gaveena is the only child of a disabled soldier Rasika Bandara and his wife Nisanshala Madhumali. They are from Kekirawa. The doctors have confirmed the cost of the procedure including autologous back up harvest is in the region of Rs.8 million if there are no complications. Her parents are not financially affluent. Her life solely depends on this surgery. 

When little Gaveena was three years old, she was beginning to show strange symptoms which has ultimately taken through a tough path until she has found to be diagnosed with Thalassaemia major condition. Subsequently, her parents had taken her to regular checkups and treatment at Anuradhapura teaching hospital. But now, her condition has aggravated and the child is in need of the lifesaving Bone marrow transplant at Asiri Central Hospital in Colombo. 

Speaking to the Daily Mirror Madhumali said, “When she was three-months old, she was pale and weak. Then we did a blood checkup. She was diagnosed with Thalassaemia major condition. Every month we take her to Anuradhapura teaching hospital for treatment. The iron concentration in her body was high and only with a specific machine fixed to the abdomen could remove iron. Every day we fix this machine around her navel for about 10 hours. But still the iron rate in her body keep on increasing. The only hope we have now is a bone marrow transplant which could cure her disease.  But to raise an amount of Rs.8 million is a daunting task. We hardly manage with the little income we get.” She said that they had submitted necessary documents and hoped to receive financial help from the President’s Fund. 

This transplant cannot be undertaken at any government hospital in Sri Lanka and only Asiri Central Hospital under the care of Prof. Lalindra Gooneratne, Consultant Hematologist and Director Bone Marrow Transplant Programme, is able to perform this expensive surgery.

The parents are desperate as they are unable to raise this large amount due to their meagre financial status and are appealing to the general public to assist them in the situation they are placed in at the moment. They have collected about Rs. 2 million with pledges up to Rs. 1 million which will be settled direct to the Hospital at the time of the surgery. They are short of the balance funds.
Gaveena’s parents are seeking assistance from those who could help her financially. Those who wish to help this child could contact their parents.