Mumbai: Teenager battling blood cancer prepares for SSC re-exam from ICU bed

Radha and Navin Naik at Wadia

Mumbai teen Navin Naik's battle against blood cancer has only strengthened his resolve to defeat the disease and conquer every test along the way, including his Std X board exams. Despite bleeding in the middle of his papers in March and undergoing a bone marrow transplant thereafter, Navin continues to prepare for his July re-exams from his ICU bed.

Navin was only 13 when he was first diagnosed with blood cancer. After undergoing chemotherapy, he recovered completely and was leading a normal life. This inspired him to become a doctor, so he could save other people's lives. But life had more challenges in store for him.

Days before his class 10 board exams in March, his cancer reoccurred. Despite repeated pleas from his family and doctors to get admitted for chemotherapy, the student of Malad's Kala Vidyalaya school refused to do so until he was done with his papers. But just before the last two papers, he began bleeding and was admitted to the Wadia hospital.

Navin Naik is undergoing treatment at the Wadia hospital

Undergoing transplant
Now, the only option to give him a new lease of life was a bone marrow transplant. His father decided to be the donor for it, and is also currently admitted in the hospital. Doctors then performed the surgery on Navin on May 10. But, even in this time of his recovery, Navin continues to study inside the ICU for his board re-exams, scheduled for July.

Radha Naik, his mother, told mid-day, "He is very studious and determined. He wants to be a doctor, because his life was saved by one. His willpower is so strong that he refused to get admitted and continued with his studies [in March] even though he was extremely weak."

"He is extremely weak even now and mostly remains drowsy. But whenever he gets his senses back, he picks up his books and starts reading. This has even surprised doctors and other patients inside the ICU," said Radha, who quit her job to take care of Navin.

Navin's letter to the Prime Minister

Funds required
A senior doctor said, "We have to keep him in the hospital until his platelets and blood count are normal. He has been kept on antibiotics and other drugs, that make him drowsy. But this kid has so much willpower that he pulls himself up to study. In fact, many of the hospital staffers keep visiting him to encourage him in his studies."

Navin has battled great odds against cancer and has been switching hospitals for two years looking for a doctor who will help increase his chances at defeating the disease. The first few doctors said he only had a 25 per cent chance at survival. Now, to raise money for his treatment, Radha is running from pillar to post after the surgery that has set them back by Rs 30 lakh. The family has spent R15 lakh for his treatment so far.

"I have given up all my jewellery and property for his treatment. I don't have much left to pay the hospital bill," she said. Radha has started a crowd funding campaign on the website Impactguru, which has already helped raise Rs 11 lakh.

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