Harpreet Singh, a soldier from Amritsar, and his wife, Priya, are appealing to the public and the government for help to treat their 9-year-old son, Ishmeet. Ishmeet suffers from a rare genetic disease called DMD (Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy), for which treatment is not available in India. A vaccine costing ₹27 crore needs to be imported from the United States to cure him. They explained that whenever the husband is on leave, they travel to different cities in their car and set up a donation box to collect money for their child’s treatment. The family has been collecting money in different cities during their holidays for the past year. So far, they have collected ₹3.10 crore. According to doctors, if the treatment is not given within the next year, the child will become completely immobile. Priya said that her son’s illness is due to a genetic condition that occurred during pregnancy. She also quit her job to dedicate all her time to caring for her child.
The family met with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and submitted a file requesting assistance. Social media and celebrities like Sonu Sood have also come forward to help. Harpreet and Priya say that if 5 lakh people donate ₹500 each, or if 2.5 lakh people donate ₹1000 each, they will be able to raise the money needed for their child’s treatment. This way, the necessary amount for the entire treatment can be collected. The family writes information about their child’s illness on their car and travels everywhere asking people for help. Time is running out for their child’s life, so they are appealing to the public and organizations for assistance.
