Crowdfunding comes to aid of toddler who needed ₹16cr drug

Crowdfunding comes to aid of toddler who needed ₹16cr drug

Gokul.Rajendran@timesgroup.com  12.12.2021

Trichy: Bharathi  , a two-year-old from Thanjavur with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), on Friday got a ₹16-crore imported drug procured through crowdfunding at a Bengaluru hospital.

Doctors at Baptist Hospital administered Zolgensma, imported from the US, to Bharathi on Friday morning, her mother K Ezhilarasi told TOI. “We got six vials of Zolgensma, imported through a dealer in London, on Thursday. The doctors administered all the vials in an hour,” she said.

Born to R Jagadeesh and Ezhilarasi, both bank employees from Nanjikottai, Bharathi was diagnosed with the rare genetic disorder by doctors of Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, in August. The disorder cripples the motor ability of the child leaving her unable to stand up and walk. As doctors advised them to arrange the medicine which has to be administered before she turned two, the parents turned to social media for help.

The funding, which started off with contributions from a small number of people, saw more than five lakh pitching in, thanks to efforts of YouTubers and celebrities. Thanjavur collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver opened a bank account on behalf of the district administration in the name of ‘Support Bharathi’. Actor Vijay Sethupathi gave ₹20 lakh and Tenkasi Aakash Friends IAS academy ₹25 lakh.

It was on November 19 that the couple got the entire amount after certain hiccups in crowdfunding. Thereafter, they got customs import duty waived for the medicine. Though Bharathi turned two on November 6, the doctors considered it to be an ideal time to administer the drug, said Ezhilarasi. She would be monitored at the hospital for three months.