THE PROBLEM

In India, 2.2% of children suffer from disabilities. Though there are no fixed numbers to indicate how many of them are orphans or abandoned, it is reported that many of them are abandoned or orphaned because of their disabilities. In low-income communities, there is generally a lack of preventive screening and awareness of good health practices. This led to a need to comprehensively screen such children at an early age to achieve minimization or preventing diseases.

Many of the conditions that these children suffer from can be extensively treated and effectively rehabilitated, but most of them are not assessed and diagnosed accurately which leads to poor treatment. The doctors and other professionals working with children with disability came to the conclusion that  Early Intervention and Extensive Treatment can lead to the Effective Rehabilitation of the children in these homes.

THE SOLUTION

This need led Advocates for Babies in Crisis (ABC) and Choice Foundation, Hyderabad to liaise with Little Stars Children’s Hospital (LSCH), Hyderabad to understand the prerequisite of orphaned and abandoned children at Sarah’s Covenant Home (SCH), Hyderabad and Sishu Vihar, Hyderabad. It was found that most of the children did not have correct/recent diagnosis, and neither were their medical records complete. This led the organizations to start this initiative - to assess and evaluate all the children for accurate/current diagnosis that will lead to the development of an extensive treatment plan.

A total of 60 children from Sishu Vihar Orphanage and 70 children from Sarah’s Covenant Home Orphanage (total of 130) have significant physical, neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders. Comprehensive assessments and evaluation will be conducted for all these 130 children, which will aid in curatively treating & rehabilitating the existing neuro-developmental disorders, leading to a better Quality of Life. It costs INR 50000 per child to do comprehensive screening and diagnosis.

COST SHEET

THE PROCESS

STEP 1: Comprehensive Physical Examination

STEP 2: Blood Investigations

• Complete Blood Count
• Renal Function Tests - Urea, Creatinine, Electrolytes, Bicarbonate
• Liver Function Test
• Calcium, Phosphorus and Magnesium
• Vitamin D, Vitamin B12
• Thyroid function test
• Serum Ferritin & Folate 
• Urine Routine
  
  

STEP 3: A Detailed Analysis of the Clinical Assessment along with the results of the Blood Investigations.

STEP 4: Imaging 

• MRI
• EEG
• Nerve Conduction Study
• X-Ray

STEP 5: Genetic & Metabolic Evaluation

• Chromosomal Microarray 750K
• Whole Exome Sequencing
• Fragile X Syndrome Male 
• Fragile X Syndrome Female 
• Tandem Mass Spectrometry (TMS)
• GCMS

STEP 6: Accurate & Comprehensive Final Diagnosis with Extensive Treatment Plan

ABOUT ME & THIS CAMPAIGN

I am MEGNA YADLAPALLI, 15 years old & in Grade 9 at Indus International School, Hyderabad.

I have undertaken this campaign because I think being able to impact the lives of children with disabilities by supporting their medical care is incredible. Getting a top-notch diagnosis can ensure early intervention and therefore the right treatment. As people who have been blessed with health and wealth, let us extend our hands in helping these children.  I was told that most of these children do not even have proper medical records. By supporting them, I am helping them on their journey to be physically healthier and happy children. 

Please fund my campaign as a simple act of kindness on your part can have a profound impact on a child’s life. It will give them confidence and a bright future. 

LOCATION & MAP

ABOUT THE ORGANISATIONS

ABC FOUNDATION

Advocates for Babies in Crisis Society (referred to as ABC hereafter) is a volunteer-based organization working to improve the physical and emotional health of orphaned infants. ABC works with two orphanages in Hyderabad providing the following support to the children at the  orphanages: 

• Visit 3 times a week and provide love and care to the children. 

• Medical camps, medicines, non-mandatory vaccines, special formulas, diagnostics, etc. 

• Hospitalization: We average 3-4 hospitalizations per month and the severity of some requiring ventilator support. The orphanage refers the more complex medical cases to us. We have had children with congenital heart disorders, osteomyelitis, other birth defects, blood disorders, inborn errors of metabolism, etc. 

LITTLE STAR HOSPITAL

Little Stars Children’s Hospital is a 100-bed pediatric multi-super speciality hospital in Hyderabad, recognized by the DME, Telangana, and National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers [NABH], India. The hospital is privileged to have all the spectrum of pediatric subspecialty departments, and the following are some of the highly specialized & fully functional Pediatric Super Specialties: 

• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit with a state-of-the-art provision for three Negative 

• Pressure Pediatric Isolation ICU rooms with individual AHU.  

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with a separate Septic IC.

• Pediatric Nephrology & Urology with a state-of-the-art provision for Pediatric Hemo-dialysis.

• Pediatric Hematology & Oncology with a state-of-the-art provision for Bone Marrow Transplantation.

• Pediatric Neurology ICU with a full-time Pediatric Neurologist.

CHOICE FOUNDATION

CHOICE Foundation, is a Not-for-Profit organization that strives to develop an ecosystem of doctors, donors, various NGOs supporting orphanages, facilitators and other charitable institutions to provide intensive care and emergency treatment to sick children coming from socio-economically challenged families. The foundation mission to empower children with good health, irrespective of their socio-economic status has led to the initiation of some successful programs. To date, 360 children whose families could not afford care have been supported by the foundation, many of whom were critically ill and could not afford life support at private hospitals.

TAX BENEFITS

All funding for this campaign has tax benefits. Receipts will be issued by Choice Foundation which is a registered NGO. Indian citizens can avail of 80G tax benefits.