Trichy: Bharathi, a two-year-old toddler of the Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu who suffered from spinal muscle atrophy (SMA), given a drug worth 16 years in Bengaluru Hospital on Friday.
Money for drugs is raised through crowdfunding.
The doctors from Bangalore Baptist Hospital provided a drug called Zolgensma, which was imported from the US, to Bharathi on Friday morning, his mother said K Ezhilalarasi on Saturday.
“We got six bottles of Zolgensma, imported by dealers in London, in the early hours of Thursday.
The doctors gave all six bottles to our daughter on Friday morning.
It took an hour to give the whole drug,” Ezhilalarasi told Toi.
Born from the pair of Bank R Jagadeesh and K ezhilalarasi from Nanjikottai in Thanjavur, Bharathi was diagnosed with rare genetic abnormalities by doctors in Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, on August 9 this year.
The disorder paralyzed the ability of the child’s motorbike that left him could not stand up and walk.
When the doctors advised them to arrange medicine to be given to him before he was two years old, middle class parents turned to social media to ask for help.
Their efforts are supported by YouTube and celebrities who appeal to a larger mass through video.
Starting with the contribution of a small number of people, crowdfunding see more than five lakh people contributing.
It was on November 19 that the couple got the entire number of Rs 16 Crore.
The couple received medicine with customs import duties released.
Although two years old Bharathi on November 6, doctors consider it an ideal time to manage drugs, ezhilariation said.
He will be monitored at Bengaluru Hospital for three months, ezhilariation said.