I am Krishna. I was born and brought up by my mum in my maternal uncle’s village. I was in primary school, and everything was going well until my mother suddenly started experiencing tremendous pain. I will never forget the day we visited the doctor who told us that my mother was HIV+. It was a total shock to my entire family. Even more shocking, she passed away only a few days after receiving the diagnosis. I was devastated and unsure about my future, as my mother was my whole world.
I moved to live with my father in his village, but he was getting old and needed someone constantly to take care of him. He was regularly depressed and in such pain, he was unable to walk. We went to see a doctor, who told us my father was suffering from rheumatism. My father was admitted to Aurangabad Civil Hospital and suffered from an infection. I was also admitted. There was no one to help us, so I was left to run here and there to complete the admission procedures and buy medicines, all with a saline drip attached to my hand.
Only once, seeing me standing in a queue to get medicine for my dad, did one kind doctor come to check if he could help me. We were in the hospital for 12 days but returning home, my father was still feeling unwell, unable to take a single step without help. He was dependent on me. Feeling miserable, he stopped eating and taking his medicine. He was so stubborn, and he soon passed away.
Once again, I felt like no one in this world was looking out for me. My father had told me I could rely on my brother for help, but this didn't happen, so I went to Dr. Nausagar, who knew an organization that works for children like me. I was admitted to Infund India, Beed, and while I was thankful to him and the organization, I wasn't delighted. I went to the Child Welfare Committee in Beed and asked them to move me, and they suggested Snehalaya would be better for me.
Arriving at Snehalaya, I soon got comfortable and started enjoying my life with my new family. I soon go to know everyone, from the watchman mama to the directors, which gave me a great sense of belonging. I want to become an IAS Officer, and many staff also guided and encouraged me in my wish to study for the competitive exams. I want to help everyone here to dream big and get everything they will ever need, and I plan to give all my future earnings to Snehalaya to help them do this.