Haryana infant races against time for life-saving Rs 9 crore injection

As his first birthday on October 9 draws near, one-year-old Yuvansh, the son of a Haryana Police constable, is still waiting for a life-saving gene therapy injection worth Rs 9 crore. With just Rs 2 crore left to raise, his family is in a desperate race against time to arrange the funds before his condition deteriorates.

Yuvansh has been diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type-1, a rare and often fatal genetic disorder that progressively weakens muscles and movement. The only treatment available is Zolgensma, a one-time gene therapy injection manufactured in Switzerland. Originally priced at Rs 14.5 crore, the manufacturer agreed to supply the drug at a reduced cost of Rs 9 crore after learning of the family’s crowdfunding efforts.

So far, Rs 7 crore has been mobilised through public donations, voluntary contributions, and state support. The family now hopes to collect the remaining Rs 2 crore within days so the injection can be ordered from Geneva before Yuvansh’s first birthday.

Rajesh Kumar, Yuvansh’s father and a constable posted with the Fatehabad Cybercrime unit, said the support they have received has been overwhelming. “We are so close now. If the remaining amount comes in by this week, we can place the order in time and give our son the gift of life on his birthday,” he told ‘The Tribune’. His wife Kiran works as a clerk in the state Food and Supply Department.

The campaign has sparked solidarity across Haryana. Police personnel from 18 districts have already contributed a day’s salary, while officers from four more districts are expected to donate from their October pay. Political leaders too have extended support — Home and Health Minister Anil Vij contributed Rs 20 lakh, while other ministers such as Vipul Goel, Arvind Sharma, Rao Narbir Singh and Krishna Lal Panwar donated amounts between Rs 2 and Rs 9 lakh each. Hisar MLA Savitri Jindal and the Governor’s Office contributed Rs 5 lakh each.

Rajesh admitted the journey has been both emotionally and financially draining, but the generosity of strangers has kept their hope alive. “We never imagined people we don’t even know would come forward like this. With just Rs 2 crore left, we are praying for a miracle before October 9,” he said.

Contributions to Yuvansh’s treatment can be made through the ImpactGuru crowdfunding platform and website, the family added.