Kamadi Ramu is a strong young man living in Andhra Pradesh, India. After his father passed away, his mother worked hard so he could complete his schooling and Ramu worked hard getting educated at Industrial Training Institute and obtaining a career in engineering. Now Ramu works full time to provide much-needed financial stability for his family and give his two younger siblings the same opportunity that he had.
Unfortunately for Ramu and his family, Ramu experienced kidney failure and his life, his ability to support his family and his family’s future were all threatened. Ramu was able to get on dialysis, but like many patients, the treatment was not a permanent solution for Ramu, and its effectiveness was rapidly declining. With kidneys failing, Ramu needed a kidney transplant, and his mother was a close-enough match to donate hers.
While the surgery was covered by the government, induction therapy to ensure Ramu’s body didn’t reject the organ was not. Induction therapy is an international standard for kidney transplants and significantly increases the likelihood of success and recovery. Considering the level of match and age of the donor, his doctor insisted on the therapy. The cost was out of reach for Ramu and his family, putting them in a bad situation with no way out.
“People in Ramu’s situation could easily give up. His condition creates an overall health nightmare, the treatments are invasive and limiting and financially a permanent solution was far out of reach.” Said Brandon Sosa, CEO of the Barzilai Foundation. “But Ramu hasn’t done that. He and his entire family have shown grit and determination to not just survive, but to succeed and thrive.”
Anything less than success in this procedure would not only be fatal for Ramu, but would be devastating for his family. For Ramu’s siblings, any chance of completing schooling and having a decent job would be gone. The entire family would need to immediately begin working manual jobs and struggling with poverty.
At the Barzilai Foundation, when we heard about Ramu’s situation, we saw someone who was fighting for themselves and their family who we could help. By supporting Ramu, we also were able to support a better life for his siblings, the ability for the family to be okay in the near term and the chance for them to thrive in the future. The Foundation sponsored the cost of the induction therapy that will give Ramu a new lease on life and an opportunity to live free of health obstacles.
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