Ranchi schoolboy Kushagra Ruchir with his parents on a vacation before he fell ill Telegraph picture
Code DOX.
When Ranchi's 12-year-old Kushagra Ruchir, a Class VII student of St Xavier's School, Doranda, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome this August, he came to realise what Doranda Old Xaverians (DOX), the alumni network of his school, stood for.
Kushagra, who's the son of 1990 batch Xaverian Ranjan Prasad Verma, a Bariatu resident, was a normal schoolboy till August 8 when he complained of acute pain and trembling in his legs. Rushed to Bhagwan Mahavir Medica Superspecialty Hospital, doctors diagnosed him with the rare and potentially debilitating Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS).
From August 9, he has been hospitalised and will take at least two years to stabilise.
GBS, a muscle weakness caused by the immune system, damages the peripheral nervous system. Initial symptoms are typically strange sensations or pain along with muscle weakness in feet and hands which can end in paralysis.
GBS is also very expensive to treat, said Verma, who admitted he was not on a strong financially footing.
'Kushagra will require at least two years of treatment. Kushagra's illness, its possible impact and cost of treatment have almost torn our lives apart,' the father said.
But, DOX was keeping them sane, he said.
'Not only has DOX contributed funds, the good wishes and blessings of friends, seniors and juniors of our alma mater are more than I could ever ask for,' Verma said.
The DOX, which is active on social media, has so far collected Rs 2 lakh for Kushagra's treatment, said its president Sumit Khemka, a businessman, adding this was a separate initiative from the school's own fundraiser.
'DOX 1994 batch has taken the lead and the batch alone has contributed Rs 1.13 lakh for Kushagra,' said businessman Gaurav Maheshwari of the class of 1994.
'We have friends spread across the globe and all willingly pitched in for Kushagra who is a junior.'
Khemka added it was the feeling of brotherhood that the alumni thrive on.
'We have about 5,000 ex-Xaverians of our school across the world. As of now, DOX has been able to tap about 2,000 old boys. Though we are separated by continents and oceans, our bond is strong, as amply illustrated in Kushagra's case,' Khemka said.
Contributions for Kushagra can be made to the Axis Bank account 912010058728072 of Ranjan Prasad Verma (IFSC code UTIB0000261)
