`Miraculous' survival of an abandoned child

By Govind D.Belgaumkar

BANGALORE, MAY 24. Hugging his thin frame, Madhuletty was lying in the dirt near the Kempe Gowda bus-stand with high fever. If anyone ventured to touch him, he would scream.

Help, however, came from the street children who took him to Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota (BOSCO), an NGO working with street children in Gandhinagar. Twenty days later, he is now on the recovery path.

"I cannot believe he can walk now," says Ms. Susan of BOSCO, who has been attending to him since he was admitted to St. Martha's Hospital. Her prayers for his survival seems to have borne fruit.

When he was brought to the office of BOSCO on May 2, its Director, Fr. T.C.George, thought he would not survive. It was a pathetic sight, and he kept rolling his eyeballs.

The BOSCO team, however, decided to try everything possible to ensure his survival.

After abortive attempts to rehabilitate him with other organisations, the BOSCO volunteers literally carried him to the hospital.

After diagnosing tuberculosis meningitis, the doctors immediately put him in the intensive care unit (ICU). After a couple of days, when he showed signs of recovery, he was moved to the Intensive Therapeutic Unit (ITU). It was only a week ago that he was moved to the ward.

Since no one knew his name and the boy could not speak, Ms. Susan decided to call him Raju. It was only when he was moved to the ward that he could give his name -- Madhuletty.

"Initially I thought it was Madhu Reddy, but the boy insists he is Madhuletty," says Fr. George. Ms. Susan finds it difficult to believe the improvement in his condition. Discharged from hospital only a couple of days ago, he is recuperating at Bosco- mane, a shelter for street children in Chamarajpet.

Madhuletty is from Nagalapura, a village near Madhugiri in Tumkur. He abandoned his family about two years ago. BOSCO staff, who do not know what made him come to Bangalore, did locate his parents, who were living in abject poverty. When his father, Eranna, was brought to the hospital, the latter expressed his willingness to take him back to the village. But the boy was undergoing treatment at that time and the hospital refused to discharge him. It was also felt that his father did not want him back.

He finds comfort in the care of Ms. Susan, and he calls her "Akka" (sister). She has been bringing to him grapes and biscuits.

BOSCO is yet to find a sponsor for his medical expenses of over Rs. 12,500. He has to take seven tablets a day, and the BOSCO staff ensure that he takes them. He is on a protein diet. The BOSCO is planning to keep him and train him in some vocational course unless he prefers to go home.

BOSCO, which had handled a case of a street boy suffering from Hepatitis-B, is convinced that home is the right place for children. Madhuletty, who did not wish to see his father initially, now wants him always at his side.

Madhuletty, who is convalescing at the Bosco-mane.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : KPCC(I) chief to be elected on Oct. 31
Next     : BMP to launch website for e-governance