Family of first Indian victim of cornonavirus crowd-funds treatment

Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, January 27

Family members of the first Indian victim of the deadly coronavirus recently had a crowd-funding campaign to meet her medical expenses.

The fund-raising is now closed.

A post on the Facebook profile of Manish Thapa, whose sister Preeti Maheshwari suffers from acute pneumonia after being infected by the virus, said: “My sister Preeti Maheshwari needs your help to survive! Mother of two daughters, Preeti is suffering from acute pneumonia, respiratory failure & multiple organ disorder. Her treatment is estimated at Rs. 1 crore. The family has exhausted all its savings on her treatment so far. You are their only hope now. The family trusts you to bring Preeti back home. Don't let them down”.

A second Facebook post, this one by her cousin Pratibha Maheshwari said that they got the money and that they were closing the crowdfunding. That post also said Preeti had regained consciousness.   

“Thank you so much for coming forward and helping with my cousin's treatment. Your generosity and prayers have helped her regain consciousness, and she is now undergoing wheelchair therapy. While it's a long road to recovery, doctors are hopeful she will be off the ventilator in the next 3-4 days. We have also managed to raise the requisite funds for her treatment, and are now closing all fund raising activity. Thank you once again for your kindness. Please continue to pray for her speedy recovery,” the post said. 

Maheshwari is a primary art school teacher at the International School of Science and Technology, Shenzhen. Mint said she was undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit at Shekou Hospital in Shenzhen, China, and was on external respiratory support, ventilators, dialysis and blood purification process.

The business daily quoted Thapa as saying that Preeti was admitted to the hospital on January 11.

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