Remember Bubble Baby? He’s eight years old now
Praveen: All smiles. Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
He is a big boy now – he walks in, flanked by his parents but not holding their hands and sits before us, giving us a brilliant smile.
“Praveen,” he says when I ask him what his name is.
Seated before us with big bright eyes is Sanjana Praveen Shivanka, Sri Lanka’s Bubble Baby who is now eight years old.
“Lies,” he tells me frankly, when I joke that he may be eight years old but I am only six.
It is just after noon and Praveen, his Ammi K.B.N. Damayanthi and Thaththi K.W.N. Neil Shantha have just finished a routine check up for Praveen at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) for Children in Colombo, having come in their lorry from Lellopitiya in Ratnapura. They have seen both Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Ruwangi Dissanayake and Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist Dr. Navoda Atapattu.
Thereafter, they have come a-visiting to the Human Genetics Unit (HGU) of the Colombo Medical Faculty where in fact the links between the Sunday Times and Praveen’s parents were forged even before his birth.
Praveen is the little boy whom generous Sri Lankans “adopted” as their own when Damayanthi was expecting him, when the Sunday Times took up his cause and set up a Fund to help his humble parents to take him to the Apollo Specialty Hospital in Chennai, India, for life-saving treatment.
His parents’ plight was brought to the notice of the Sunday Times by the kind-hearted doctors and staff of the HGU.
It is also at the HGU that for many years on July 12, there were celebrations on his birthday, with the staid rooms being festooned with bunting, with tables loaded with short-eats, the centerpiece being a beautiful cake. The family of three would head for home in Lellopitiya with lots of gifts.
Of course, the silent but generous majority were never seen. They were the people from across the country as well as the world who gave generously, from Rs. 50 pulled out of precious little savings to Rs. 500,000 and more to the Sunday Times Fund to enable Damayanthi and Neil to take Praveen to Chennai, to save him from the fate that befell his two older brothers. His brothers had fallen victim to the rare genetic disorder, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) Syndrome.
With help from all these people, Praveen was able to get that crucial bone marrow transplant and to this day the Sunday Times gets calls asking after the welfare of the Bubble Baby.
In September this year, Praveen goes to Grade 4 at Lyceum in Ratnapura, he tells us, as his parents murmur that the teachers and school authorities are “very good”.
“I go to school daily by van,” he smiles, speaking perfect English.
He loves to read and his current favourite is ‘Secret Seven’.
A long conversation about food follows, what is good and what is not and he says he loves to eat cauliflower and also bright red strawberries, his parents can ill-afford, while his eyes follow the camera with curiosity.
Thaththi goes around the country in his lorry selling mattresses and other household stuff and also tries to make ends meet by getting orders from people living close-by.
Science is Praveen’s favourite subject and when we ask him what he would like to do when he grows up, he says earnestly, “hithanna one”. (I need to think).
When we promise to visit him soon in his home, pat comes an invite.
“Come on July 12 next year, when I turn 9,” says Praveen, as he waves goodbye to us.
| Your generosity would be appreciated | |
| Life is a struggle for this three-member family. If anyone wishes to help the Bubble Baby and his mother and father, please send your mite to Account No. 9366145 of the Bank of Ceylon, Pelmadulla in the name of mother, K.B.N. Damayanthi. |