Children Get Scared When They See Me!

“There are times I feel like I don’t even belong in this world. I can’t go out without feeling the weight of those eyes on me. I hide myself. I avoid mirrors. Slowly, I am losing hope! 

Hi, my name is Sachin. I am 23 years old, but my life has been a struggle since I was just 6. What started as a small swelling near my eye turned into a disease that has stolen my childhood, my dreams, and even my face.

Slowly, tumors spread all over my body. Painful lumps appeared, one after another, and today, my entire upper body is marked by this cruel illness called Upper Limb Neurofibromatosis.

Because of this disease, I lost vision in one eye. A heavy, painful lump grew on my shoulder, and the boils across my skin made every day unbearable.

But the physical pain is nothing compared to the pain I feel when people look at me. Children get scared when they see me. Strangers whisper behind my back. Some laugh, some turn away in disgust. Every look reminds me that I am different, unwanted, unseen, unloved.

My parents are old and tired. My father works as a daily laborer, earning only ₹400 a day. My mother spends her days worrying and crying silently when she thinks no one is watching.

She often holds my hand and says, “Beta, I wish God had given this suffering to me instead of you.” I see her eyes wet every night, praying that somehow her son will be free of this disease. 

For a mother, there is no bigger pain than watching her child suffer and not being able to take that pain away.

Years ago, my family tried everything. They managed to arrange for one surgery in Delhi, but it failed. Since then, my parents have been carrying this burden, not just of my illness, but of helplessness.

My father breaks his body at work every day, yet still cannot bring home enough to cover even the basic needs of our family. I too tried to work in a small shop, but it barely makes a difference. 

Now, doctors at Panacea Hospital, Dehradun, have given us some hope. They say that treatment is possible. But the cost is ₹8.5 lakhs, a mountain too high for my family to climb. 

For us, even one day’s meal is a struggle; how can we ever dream of affording this?

I don’t want to spend the rest of my life hiding in shame, watching tumors grow on me while people turn away. I want to live like a normal young man, to work, to support my parents, to give them the peace they deserve in their old age.

Today, I fold my hands and beg you, please help me. Your support can give me treatment, dignity, and life itself. Without you, I have nothing but pain. With you, I may finally have a chance to live.