As premature infant’s condition improves, parents express gratitude to doctors and citizens for going above and beyond to give them hope. They were desperately trying to save the life of their premature baby boy
Asmita and Ganesh More, the parents of the baby boy. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
After weeks of uncertainty and anxious hospital rounds, hope is slowly returning to Ganesh and Asmita More, who were desperately trying to save the life of their premature baby boy. Weighing only 1.1 kg at birth and requiring medical intervention since then, the infant is now off the ventilator, gaining weight, and responding positively to treatment — thanks to medical care, a critical surgery, and the generosity of strangers.
The baby, born on June 29, faced a tough battle from his very first breath, as he suffered from a severe intestinal condition that required emergency surgery (exploratory laparotomy with wedge anastomosis) immediately at the time of birth. “We didn’t even get a moment to process his arrival. We were told he needed to go into surgery immediately to repair part of his small intestine,” recalled Ganesh.
Doctors at the hospital successfully performed the procedure and monitored the infant around the clock. In the initial weeks, the baby could only be fed one ml of milk, twice a day, due to his fragile state and the intestinal operation. “But with intensive care, the scar from the intestinal surgery has healed well, allowing the child to now consume 20 ml of milk twice a day,” said one of the doctors from the team, who are continuously taking efforts to make a medical miracle happen. “This milestone might seem small to others, but for us, it’s everything,” Ganesh said, with a heavy voice.
Major milestones
Another crucial sign of progress is that the baby, who was on ventilator support for a prolonged period, has now been completely off the machine for the past five days. This has brought immense relief to the family, as doctors believe it’s a strong indication of his respiratory system stabilising and maturing. “We began with keeping him off the ventilator for 15 minutes twice in the day, increased it to an hour, then to four hours, then 12, and now he is breathing on his own completely for the last five days,” said the doctor.
The infant’s weight has also seen a significant increase — from the worrying 1100 grams at birth to 1532 grams now. “We’ve been tracking every gram, and each gain gives us new strength to carry on,” said Ganesh. “It’s been a roller coaster ride, but these positive developments are what keep us going.”
Kindness of strangers
Meanwhile, the cost of neonatal intensive care, surgery, and extended hospital stay has pushed Ganesh to the brink. With a limited income and mounting bills, the young father had no choice but to turn to the public for help. Through a crowd-funding initiative, Ganesh managed to raise Rs 2.5 lakh over the past few weeks. “I was hesitant at first. Asking for money isn’t easy. But the kindness of people — many of them complete strangers — has been overwhelming,” he said. The donations helped cover a major portion of the medical expenses, giving the family breathing space during a time of great emotional and financial strain.
Hospital’s generosity
In a heartening gesture, the private hospital also decided to waive off Rs 2 lakh from the overall bill, recognising the family’s genuine struggle and the critical nature of the infant’s care. The gesture has not only reduced their burden but also strengthened their faith in the medical community. “We are beyond grateful for this support,” said Ganesh. “Without this help, I don’t know what we would have done.”
While the baby’s journey is far from over and further monitoring and care will be necessary, doctors remain cautiously optimistic. “His vitals are stable, he is feeding well, and we are seeing consistent weight gain. These are all very good signs. Once the baby starts taking direct feeding instead of taking milk through a tube and gains over two kilograms in weight, he will mostly be ready to be discharged. But that will take some more time. It’s very difficult to predict a near-exact date of discharge,” said the doctor.
Ganesh continues to spend every available moment by his son’s side. “We’ve gone from watching him fight for every breath to now seeing him eat and gain weight. We still have challenges ahead, but we finally feel like we’re moving in the right direction," he said.
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