Indian opener KL Rahul, who was recently named as the captain of the new IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), came to the rescue of an 11-year-old aspiring cricketer Varad, who needed an urgent bone marrow transplant (BMT) to treat a rare blood disorder.
Rahul donated a generous ₹31 lakh of the ₹35 lakh required for the procedure. Thanks to the star batter, Varad was operated upon, and he is now recuperating.
In December, Varad’s parents Sachin Nalawade, an insurance agent, and homemaker Swapna Jha, started a fundraising campaign on GiveIndia to raise ₹35 lakh they needed to pay for their son’s treatment. Rahul’s team got in touch with GiveIndia as soon as they came to know about Varad and the fundraiser.
Since September, the fifth standard schoolboy had been under the care of hematologists in Mumbai’s Jaslok Hospital after he was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder. Varad’s blood platelet levels were very low, making his immune system extremely susceptible to infections. Even a normal fever was taking months to be cured. A bone marrow transplant was the only permanent cure for Varad’s condition.
The middle-class family had run out of funds, with his father even liquidating his provident fund savings to pay for Varad’s mounting medical bills to keep his son’s dreams of becoming a cricketer alive. He also bought his son a fancy cricket bat for his 11th birthday to cheer up Varad and give the aspiring young batsman some hope.
Speaking about the donation, Rahul said, “When I came to know about Varad’s condition, my team got in touch with GiveIndia so that we can help him in any way we could. I am glad that the surgery was successful, and he is doing well. I hope Varad gets back on his feet at the earliest and goes on to achieve his dreams. I hope my contribution inspires more and more people to come forward and help those in need.”
Meanwhile, Varad's mother Swapna thanked Rahul for saving her son's life.
“We are thankful to KL Rahul for donating such a large amount for Varad’s surgery. But for him, it would have been impossible to carry out the bone marrow transplant in such a short period of time. Thank you, Rahul,” she said.
Varad’s family couldn’t have imagined that a Team India player would come to rescue him. Varad often talks about playing for India in the future. He now has the chance to emulate the man who saved his life.
