Thanks to Jyoti's unwavering determination, Reena has got a second chance of health and hope. Reena treats Jyoti like her daughter - even in front of the doctor.
"Nobody helped me, except for Jyoti and Sangeeta (another member of TASA network of Humana People to People India). I am truly indebted to them," says Reena. And rightly so.
Empathy binds women to stop TB
It would be pertinent here to delve into Jyoti's trials and tribulations too. Hers is a story of grit and determination. Despite all odds, Jyoti, daughter of a vegetable vendor, graduated (with History, Political Science and English) from the University of Delhi - School of Open Learning. She is also doing a computer course in the evening, alongside working with Humana People to People India.
One of the 7 siblings (5 girls and 2 boys) Jyoti has herself experienced the wrath of TB from close hands, when one of her sisters suffered from TB in 2019. Perhaps she got the infection from one of her classmates. There was severe cough, fever, pain in the chest and difficulty in breathing. Her mother took her to a private doctor who diagnosed her with typhoid and anaemia. But her condition did not improve. On the advice of a neighbour, her mother took her to a TB hospital. There she was eventually diagnosed with TB and admitted in the hospital. But her condition had become very critical by then. She was discharged from the hospital, saying there was no hope to save her. But her mother did not give up. She took her to Holy Family Hospital (which is run by a private charitable trust in Delhi), where the sister was in the hospital for more than 1 year.
"We spent INR 1.5 lakh (about USD 1721) on her treatment with borrowed money. But we could save her life, and she was cured of TB."
Never say die attitude
Jyoti has faced many challenges since a very young age, more so after her mother's death. 3 years ago, in January 2022, when Jyoti was 18 years old and was studying in class 12, her mother died due to a road accident.
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