“I Can Hear The Machines, But Not My Daughter’s Voice”

“My name is Santlal Gautam, and I am the father of a 10-year-old girl named Vandna. I never thought I would see this day, where I sit helplessly outside the ICU, praying to God to let my little girl live.

Vandna is my eldest child, studying in 6th standard in a government school. She is the light of our home, the one who always helps her younger sister with her homework and tells me she will grow up to make me proud.

As a father, I had many dreams with her, holding her hand while she goes to college, watching her succeed, seeing her fulfill the dreams I never could. 

But today, instead of holding my hand, my little girl is lying unconscious in the hospital, with tubes all over her body.

On 7th September 2025, everything changed. She was a normal, cheerful girl, and then suddenly she fell sick. 

First, we thought it was just a fever. But one thing led to another, and before we knew it, doctors told us she is suffering from Viral Hepatitis, Encephalopathy, and Septicaemia. 

Now she is on ventilator support in Royal Children’s Hospital, Kanpur, and has not opened her eyes since that day.

I work as a daily wage laborer and sometimes play the dholak at events. My monthly income is barely ₹8,000–9,000. There are days when we do not even have money to buy vegetables to cook food. 

My wife is a homemaker, and with two small daughters to feed, every rupee is a struggle.

Till now, I have somehow managed to arrange ₹1.5 lakhs for her treatment by borrowing from relatives and using every bit of savings we had.

But now, doctors are asking for ₹6 lakhs for her complete treatment. For a poor man like me, this amount is beyond impossible. I feel broken when I see my daughter fighting for her life while I stand helpless, unable to arrange the money she needs.

Every day I look at her through the ICU glass, praying she will open her eyes and call me “Papa” again. I had so many dreams with her, taking her to school, celebrating her birthday, and one day finding a good groom for her, but today, I am not even sure if she will live to see tomorrow!

I never thought I would beg, but today, as a father, I am folding my hands before you. Please help me save my daughter’s life. Your contribution, no matter how small, can give Vandna a chance to survive, to return home, and to live the life every child deserves.

From a father’s heart that is breaking every second, I beg you, please help me save my daughter! Donate whatever you can!”