Five-year-old Amreshwar Soni needs surgery to improve his hearing
The silent world of five-year-old Amreshwar Soni crackled with hope when a letter arrived from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office in February that has the potential to change a life. The PM sent a cheque for Rs three lakh in response to a request from Amreshwar's father, who said his son needs an operation to improve his hearing.
"The operation costs Rs 5.5 lakh and they have given me Rs 3 lakh. I told them (district officials who coordinate with the Prime Minister's Office), but they are saying I am not the only one who needs help," said Vishnu Soni, a motorcycle mechanic, who has four other children he is raising as a single parent. His wife and he separated three years ago.
"My eldest child is 12, and he has thalassemia," he told NDTV. "I actually applied for help for both of them, but only one request was sanctioned." The 12-year-old stays at home to look after his sister; the other children accompany Mr Soni every day to his workshop, surrounded by the steady whorls of heat and dust from the highway nearby.
"Every time I go for their treatment, I have to shut my shop," said Mr Soni, who, in a good month, earns Rs 5,000. He spent a large part of his savings on taking his 12-year-old to a hospital in Chennai. The money sent by the Prime Minister's Office is in an account with the hospital where Amreshwar hopes to someday undergo a life-changing surgery.
Mr Soni says that earlier petitions for help to Mayawati, when she was chief minister, received no response. He says he is very grateful for the help from the Prime Minister's Office, but the Rs 2.5 lakh he needs for Amreshwar's ear operation leaves him sleepless.
If you would like to help this family, the bank account details are:
Vishnu Soni
Account No: 424402010714827
Union Bank of India
Lohtara
Varanasi
Bank Address:
Union Bank of India
D-65/311, Lahartara, Varanasi Cantt,
Varanasi,
Uttar Pradesh,
Pin - 221 002
Additional details for online transactions:
IFSC Code: UBIN0542440
Branch Code: 542440
MICR Code: 221026011
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