While some people have come forward to help the family which lost their three-year-old daughter in the winter cold out on the footpath, there are over 250 such families with more than 15 children under 10 years of age living on four pavements near Tata Memorial Hospital in need of similar relief. Having left their villages and come to the city for treatment, these families have been forced to set up home on pavements as they cannot afford accommodation.
Afsana Begum, grandmother of Sonam, the three-year-old girl who died, said, “Sonam was suffering from fever and vomited the next day. She loved to study and read but we could not enroll her in school because we could not afford it. My son was a rickshaw driver and earning enough for us to live happily. Two years ago, we came to know he is suffering from cancer. We spent a lot of money on his treatment in Mathura. We visited many doctors in Bihar but we were asked to visit Tata Hospital. After coming to Mumbai, our life changed drastically. We thought he would be fine and we would be able to live happily. But we lost our child.”
Former MLA, Sohail Lokhandwala, has reached out to Sonam’s family with Rs 5,000 and arranging a proper shelter for them in KGN Bhoiwada Guest House. He has also arranged free medicine from his NGO for Sonam’s father’s treatment. Two persons, who did not wish to be named, donated Rs 2,500 and three big blankets to the family.
