A nephritic patient has come out with a programme to help out fellow young patients monetarily through crowdfunding. With the high cost of treatment for such poor children, the help has come as god sent for many.

Young social volunteer Amey Agarwal, a Class XI student of St Xavier’s Collegiate School, is supporting the kids suffering from nephritic syndrome. He was recently instrumental in supporting Warisha Khan (14) and Gaurav Mukherjee (13) by providing them all the medical necessities. Gaurav underwent his kidney transplant last year. Through his project Nehphrohelp, Amey came up with Rs 8 lakh over a period of 7 months through crowd funding and donations.

Amey has tied up with ICH (Institute of Child Health), one of the oldest hospitals in India catering to the weaker and challenged sections of the society in India.

Mukul Mukherjee, father of Gaurav, who works as a contractual basis with the PHE department in South Dinajpur, said, “My son is still recuperating. There is a huge cost of his regular tests and medicine, which is very difficult for me to bear with my meagre income. He was in Class IX when he was taken out of school for his illness and then the lockdown happened. The donation was a big help or ese I could not have afforded the transplant.”

Amey, who said he used to initially teach how to make cup cakes and cookies and would raise funds through his Instagram handle. Later, he started approaching corporate houses. Whatever money he raises, it straightaway goes to the hospital. Talking about his noble gesture, Amay said, “I have been nephrotic for the last 15 years. At the initial stages, with the syndromes I went through, I know the pain. One of the patients had only 2-3 months left of his life if he did not undergo transplant. We spoke to the hospital and they said that the parents of the children are unable to raise the huge money required. We then raised the money for both the children.” Amay is also launching a guide book on the subject called Parental Guide on World Kidney Day, 10 March.

Dr Rajiv Sinha, professor and HoD of pediatric nephrology at ICH, said, “Nephrotic patients have different syndromes. Some kids get cured naturally after puberty, some have kidney failure. We have all the facilities of treating such patients barring transplant. This is not an uncommon disease. At ICH each day we get around 70 nephrotic patients. These families are poor and there lies the usefulness of Amey and his organization. It is worth applauding that despite being a child he has come up with such an effort.”