A Mother Who Eats Once a Day Is Begging to Save Her Son
"Kaisa Kachua Wala Bachcha Paida Kiya Hai." These are the words strangers say when Avikar's mother steps outside with her son.
So she stopped going outside.
Avikar is one and a half years old. He has never played in a park. He has no friends his age. And his mother, who should be showing him off to the world, is instead hiding him from it not out of shame, but to protect him from the cruelty of people who see only what is growing on his face, and not the child underneath.
What Is Happening to Avikar
Every day, Avikar's nose grows a little bigger.
He was born with a condition called large frontonasal encephalocele, a rare and serious defect where brain tissue pushes through an opening in the skull and protrudes into the nasal and frontal region. It is not a small abnormality. It is visible, it is growing, and it is taking over.
It has already taken so much from him. At an age when children are running, falling, getting back up, Avikar cannot walk. Cannot stand on his own. On difficult days, he cannot even drink water properly.
His mother watches this happen. Every single day, she watches her son struggle with things that should require no effort at all, and she has no way to stop it.
The doctors at SK Care Hospital, Raipur have been clear: Avikar needs multi-stage surgical intervention. This is not optional. If treatment does not happen now, the damage will compound. What is already serious will become something far worse, far harder to reverse.
Time is not on Avikar's side.
The Family He Was Born Into
Avikar's father, Kabeer Das, is a laborer.
He does not work nearby. He leaves the village and goes wherever work takes him, returning home only after ten, fifteen days. He is not absent because he does not care. He is absent because a family this poor cannot afford for him to be present.
When he is gone, Avikar's mother is alone with her son.
They eat once a day. Not because they choose to because that is what they can manage. There are no savings. There is no financial cushion. Whatever little existed has already gone toward trying to understand what is wrong with their child and how to fix it.
"Hum itne garib hain ki khana bhi ek hi time kha sakte hain," she says. We are so poor that even one meal a day is what we can afford.
What She Carries Alone
Avikar's mother does not speak about her grief the way people expect.
She speaks about the taunts. The neighbors. The strangers at the market who look at her son's face and say things out loud that no mother should ever have to hear. She started staying inside. She stopped taking him out. The world outside felt safer without her in it.
"Main khud hi bahar jaane ke liye darti hoon ghar se. Log mujhe isko dekh ke sunaate hain."
She is afraid to leave her own home. Because outside, people do not see a child. They see a face that looks different, and they make sure she knows it.
This is what this condition does to a family. It does not only grow inside the child. It grows around the entire family, shrinking their world smaller and smaller.
Avikar is her only child. She has no one else.
What She Is Asking For
She does not ask with anger. She does not ask with demands. She folds her hands and she asks the way a person asks when they have exhausted every other option and this is the only door left.
"Main ek garib maa, sab se haath jodh ke vinti karti hoon — uska ilaaj kara do."
I am a poor mother. I fold my hands before everyone. Please help get my child treated.
She knows what a small donation means to someone giving it. She also knows what it means to her.
"Aapka chhota sa daan diya hua bhi ek garib ki jhopdiyon mein khushiyaan la sakta hai."
Even your smallest contribution can bring happiness into a poor family's home.
What Treatment Will Cost
Avikar needs multi-stage surgery. He will be in hospital for 25 to 30 days. The procedure involves ICU care, multiple rounds of surgery, anesthesia, investigation, medicines, and skin graft support.
The total estimated cost is ₹8,56,000.
Kabeer Das comes home every two weeks with daily wage earnings. There is nothing left to borrow, nothing left to sell.
What Avikar Has Never Done
He has never run. He has never stood at a park and watched other children play. He has never been outside without his mother bracing herself for what someone might say.
He is one and a half years old. His whole life is still ahead of him, if we give it the chance to be.
His father wants to see him grow up, go to school, build a future — become the person who one day takes care of his parents the way they are now desperately trying to take care of him.
That future begins with this surgery.
Please donate. Please share. Whatever you can give, give it today. Because somewhere in a small home, a mother is folding her hands and her son is running out of time.
Hospital Estimate Documents
Date :06 July 2026
Medical Update — Avikar's Surgery Successfully Completed 💙
When we first shared Avikar's story, we didn't know how the world would respond.
A one-and-a-half-year-old boy. A mother who had stopped going outside because of what strangers said when they saw her son's face. A father who came home every two weeks with nothing left to give. A condition that was growing every single day and could not wait.
You responded with kindness that humbled us.
Today, we are grateful to share that Avikar's surgery has been successfully completed.
About the Procedure
Avikar was diagnosed with Nasal Encephalocele — a rare and serious condition where brain tissue protrudes through an opening in the skull, visibly affecting his face and preventing him from walking, standing, or even drinking water comfortably on difficult days.
The surgical team at Petals Hospital, Raipur successfully performed a bifrontal craniotomy. The procedure included excision of the encephalocele carefully removing the protruding non-functional tissue while preserving all healthy surrounding structures followed by duraplasty, a watertight repair of the protective membrane around the brain performed using multiple tissue layers to prevent cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and cranioplasty, a full reconstruction of the skull to restore its natural structure. The surgical site was then closed using standard techniques to support proper healing.
The surgery was completed successfully.
Avikar's Current Condition
Avikar is stable and under close observation at the hospital. Over the coming days, the medical team will continue to monitor him carefully particularly for any signs of septal discharge or cerebrospinal fluid leakage, which can occasionally occur after procedures of this nature. If anything is detected, the team is fully prepared to respond promptly with the appropriate medical or surgical intervention.
His mother, who spent over a year afraid to step outside her own home, is sitting right beside him.
Our Gratitude
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire surgical team at Petals Hospital, Raipur for their expertise and dedication and their invaluable support throughout Avikar's care journey. The commitment of the team made this possible.
And to every donor, volunteer, and well-wisher who gave whether it was money, a share, or simply a prayer — thank you. Avikar's father is a daily wage laborer who comes home every two weeks. There were no savings. There was nothing left to borrow.
What you gave filled that gap. And in doing so, you gave a child his life back.
Avikar has never run. He has never played in a park without his mother bracing herself for what a stranger might say next. That changes now because of you.
Please continue to keep Avikar and his family in your prayers as he recovers. We will share updates as he heals and grows stronger.
Apno ke liye. Sab ke liye.
— Team Mitaan Welfare Foundation
mitaan.org
💙 Avikar's Treatment Update | 19 June 2026 💙
Today, Avikar continues to receive medical care under the supervision of his treating doctors. His treatment journey is progressing step by step, with the medical team closely monitoring his condition and planning the next course of action based on the latest reports and evaluations.
At Team Mitaan, our support extends beyond hospital walls. We remain with Avikar and his family throughout this journey, assisting with hospital coordination, accommodation, meals, travel support, and emotional care during every stage of treatment.
We are deeply grateful to every donor and well-wisher whose support has made this care possible. Your contributions are helping ensure that Avikar receives the treatment and support he needs.
🙏 Please continue to keep Avikar in your prayers and thoughts as he moves forward on the path to recovery.
Date: 30/05/2026
Update
Thanks to the kindness and generosity of donors, supporters, and well-wishers, ₹3.82 lakh has been raised so far for Avikar's treatment.
This support brings Avikar one step closer to receiving the life-changing medical care he urgently needs. Our team is now coordinating with the treating doctors and preparing for the next phase of his treatment journey.
Avikar suffers from a rare and serious condition called large frontonasal encephalocele, which requires multiple surgical interventions. The doctors have emphasized that timely treatment is critical to prevent further complications and improve his quality of life.
While this milestone gives hope to Avikar and his family, the fundraising target has not yet been fully achieved. We remain hopeful that, with continued support, we will be able to raise the remaining amount required for his treatment and upcoming procedures.
On behalf of Avikar and his family, thank you to everyone who has contributed, shared his story, and kept him in their prayers. We will continue to keep all supporters updated on his treatment progress.
Note - Any amount raised beyond the required treatment cost will be used to support other individuals who were less fortunate and could not receive the help they needed.