A brain pacemaker is a medical device that is implanted into the brain with the purpose to stimulate nervous tissue with electrical signals. Brain pacemakers are used for the therapy of patients suffering for example from Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, or mental disorders.
THE BACKGROUND
Ms. Sulekha Nair is a mother of two young girls Sajitha and Sanusha (aged 25 and 16) and wife of Sasikumar Nair.
Ms. Sulekha is a 53-year-old who has been living with Parkinson's Disease for the past 17 years. She was diagnosed at the age of 34 with this disease which is usually observed in people who are much older in age.
Ms. Sulekha was treated at the Bombay Hospital during the first 10 years of her disease and her condition did not improve even after taking the prescribed medications. She then found out about something called DBS surgery and after some research, visited the Jaslok Hospital at Peddar Road, Mumbai.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the most commonly performed surgical treatment for Parkinson's.
It is a medical procedure that involves a mild electrical current delivered to a specific part of your brain. The electricity in that current stimulates the brain cells in that area, which can help several conditions. The current reaches your brain through one or more wires attached to a small device with a battery that is implanted underneath your skin near your collarbone.
She underwent her first surgery in 2017, but the battery got exhausted in under 3 years, and then she had to undergo another surgery in 2020. Again, her battery was exhausted in just 18 months.
She even underwent Achilles tendon surgery in March 2022. Her prescribed medication is to take one tablet of Syndopa + every four hours, but she has to consume two tablets every three hours to move around and continue her daily life. During her off time (the period when her medicines do not affect her), she experiences extreme stiffness and has trouble speaking.
Sulekha is an artist at heart and likes to paint, garden, and draw in her free time. She has a will of stone and has shown incredible strength while handling her disease. But her condition is worsening and hence, a third DBS surgery has to be done. This will use a new device that has a LONGER BATTERY LIFE OF 25 YEARS.
The cost is significant at INR 15.45L.
Her husband, who was the sole earner during the past two surgeries, works as a Logistics Manager in a private company. Her eldest daughter has only recently started earning and her youngest is still preparing for her HSC boards.
The medical costs for the 3rd surgery which works out to INR 15L plus other expenses post-surgery are putting a massive strain on the family's finances. The family now needs help from all of us to use our collective goodness to help and come to their aid. Hence the crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for Surekha’s surgery.
The above image shows how DBS works.
COST BREAKUP AND DEVICE DETAILS
The Boston Scientific Vercise Gevia device. This is a high-tech device and has a lifespan of 15 years.
The least we can all do as friends and fellow human beings is to give a little so that together we can make a big difference in Sulekha's life. The INR 15.45L amount that we are raising will be enough to help pay for her surgery. There are other costs too post surgery! So please continue funding till the last day, irrespective of the amount we raise, as the more we collect the more costs are covered.
HOSPITAL LETTER
LOCATION OF HOSPITAL
FEEDBACK THAT YOU GET
To ensure that there is complete transparency I shall post updates on the UPDATES section of the campaign. As soon as I post an update, the platform will send an EMAIL alert to all the funders - i.e. to you. Click on the link in the email and you can read about the progress and how the funds are being used.
FAQs
How can we fund this campaign with a Cheque?
Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd account details are as below:
BANK NAME: HDFC Bank Limited.
BRANCH: Koramangala( Main Branch). City: Bengaluru - 560095.
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 50200013106778
IFSC CODE: HDFC0000053
Please draw a cheque in favor of "Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd", and deposit the cheque into the Fueladream Online Ventures Pvt Ltd HDFC Bank account (any branch across INDIA). After you deposit the cheque, please send an email to prasad@fueladream.com AND getintouch@fueladream.com with the following funder information.
1) Name of Funder:
2) Full address with Pin code:
3) Telephone/Mobile no and Email ID:
4) Cheque number:
5) Amount funded:
6) Whose campaign are you funding. (Name of the person OR campaign number/ID):
After the funds are received and the above details are verified, the fund amount will be transferred to the respective campaign. This can take from 1-3 working days.
How does crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding in India is a relatively new concept and is growing very quickly.
It’s a concept that allows a large number of funders (like you) to fund an idea or a cause or event by giving small amounts of money online. Fueladream.com is a crowdfunding platform in India that allows for such pooling of funds. You can fund innovations and ideas on FuelADream and be the first to get these products or make them come true. You can also do a good turn by funding charities and causes through crowdfunding.
