We first met Manaswini and her mother in October 2022. We’ve been by their side day after day, month after month ever since, as Manaswini’s body worked hard to fight B-Cell ALL. It’s no easy decision for a mother to leave her one-year-old son, and travel alone with her sick daughter, hundreds of kilometers away, for help. But it’s sometimes the hardest calls that make the biggest difference. Thanks to Bhaskareshwari’s instinct to get the best treatment for her little girl, this family gets to be reunited and say “Happy New Year!” with the biggest smile on their faces.

With lots of help and support from Mula Lakshmi, the Cuddles Nutritionist at Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital & Research Institute (BIACH), Hyderabad, this 6 year old has found the strength to cope with all the harsh side effects of cancer therapy over the past two years. She is now in maintenance mode and continues to be supported by your generosity. A beneficiary of supplements, rations and in-meals, Manaswini’s nutritional status has improved from Mild Acute Malnutrition to Well Nourished.

We asked Bhaskareshwari what the support provided by Cuddles Foundation meant to her and her husband, who earns his living as a farmer –

“We couldn’t believe it when we were told that we would be receiving so much help and food to make sure our little girl gets better. This meant that we could use the money we had to take care of other necessities like medicines. Meeting Mula Lakshmi on daily rounds was a huge source of strength for me. She helped me understand the importance of nutrition and how to manage my little one’s diet. At some points, I felt so low and so scared. She became my family away from my family. I don’t know how I would have made it through without her kindness and care.”

Bhaskareshwari, a teacher, is now preparing for her Competitive Exams and is happy she can now put her focus back on her passion for teaching. Manaswini can’t wait to follow in her mom’s footsteps. “I want to become a teacher like my amma”, declares this little 6-year-old.

And as for Mula Lakshmi’s parting thoughts… “I cannot overstate the importance of the work that me and my fellow Cuddles nutritionists do 365 days of the year. These little lives are so full of potential and our hearts go out to them. We want them to be strong. We want them to win. So we stop at nothing and do everything in our power to help them.”

Thanks to you, so many families who have been dealt a hard hand can start the year with more hope and confidence – that their children now have the best chance to fight cancer and win.