Heads of households are not just responsible for providing, but also protecting the potential of their children. 43-year-old Durga Rao works as a successful cook, and his income provides for his wife and two boys who are strong students and on track to graduate high school and attend university.
Durga Rao back home with his two sons after a successful surgery
A back injury and the resulting spinal pain left Durga Rao unable to stand for more than a few minutes at a time. The surgery to mend Durga Rao’s spinal issues is too expensive for the family. Without it, though, Durga Rao will be unable to continue his profession and his sons will need to drop out of school and find jobs. An education is critical in India and the boys leaving school would be sacrificing their future just to maintain a troubling present.
“In addition to the boys’ future, the inability to obtain this surgery costs Durga Rao his future as well,” said Brandon Sosa, CEO of the Barzilai Foundation. “With no intervention surgery Durga Rao will be partially disabled, in significant pain and have no means to improve his situation. The boys willingness to step up is very noble, but it all but guarantees a bleak future for the family.”
The Barzilai Foundation met with the family and decided to cover the medical costs of the surgery. The support was not just about a medical procedure, but about getting a hardworking father back on his feet and back to work and preserving the potential for his sons.
“When we come across multi-generation poverty, we see this often: one person’s bad circumstances broaden and affect many, for a long time,” added Sosa. “There is no room for an injury or an illness. Circumstances beyond their control wreak havoc on generations. When we come across a story like Durga Rao’s, where you can break a negative chain reaction right at the start and protect the future for many people, we see that as exactly what we’re about. We’re thrilled that the Barzilai Foundation was able to be part of Durga Rao getting his life back but also to help keep those boys on track academically.”
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