Abnormal growth on Sandhya’s head is ruling her life!

My name is Sarika, I’m Sandhya’s mother. When people ask, “What has happened to your daughter?” I feel a pain in my chest. It hurts when they speak about my daughter like this. They don’t understand how deeply it affects us. The way they speak, the way they look at her—it feels like they don’t see her, just the growth on her forehead.

She’s only nine years old, and the world has already been so difficult for her. Sandhya has a condition that causes a large, abnormal growth on her forehead. It wasn’t always this way. As she got older, the itching grew worse, and the more it bothered her, the more blood would come out. It’s hard to watch your child go through that, my husband and I don’t know how to help her.

I often wonder how I can make her life better. We’re poor—her father is a farmer, and we can barely make ends meet. Even though we try to stay positive, I know the reality.  Surgery could change everything for Sandhya. It could give her a chance at a life without this constant pain, discomfort and fear. But how can we afford it?

I watch her face light up when she talks about school. “I really like going to school,” she says, her eyes shining with hope. But when she actually goes, it’s different. The other children stare at her, some afraid, others whispering behind her back.It’s alienating, she’s just a kid. All she wants is to play with kids her age. 

I want so much for her—more than just an education, but a life where she can walk without shame. I dream of the day when she becomes a teacher, when she can be proud of who she is. I believe in her, even when the world around her doesn’t seem to.

Your help could give Sandhya a childhood free from fear and pain, a childhood filled with play, laughter, and the chance to become the person she dreams of being. All she wants is to play with her friends, to feel like everyone else. And I want that for her more than anything.