Every time the bell rings, five-year-old Aahana tries to turn her head towards the door, almost as if she expects see her mother walk in. This may seem a scene out of any household, except that Aahana has a severe disorder that threatens her sense of hearing and that her mother was murdered on October 17.Anandita Goswami Mishra’s daughter suffers from a condition called dystonic cerebral palsy. She can’t hold up her head, sit or even use her limbs. She suffers from seizures, has chewing problems and is hearing impaired. With Anandita gone, the family is worried Aahana’s treatment will suffer for lack of funds. “She was promoted in September and was very excited that she would be able to spend more on Aahana’s treatment. Her physiotherapy sessions and medicines would cost us at least around Rs 15,000 per month and she would try and save every paisa. She would walk home instead of taking a rickshaw and that took her life,” said Poonam Goswami, Anandita’s mother. “Aahana has been sick and depressed since the day Anandita didn’t come home,” she added. Anandita had been married into a business family in Durgapur, West Bengal, but moved to Mumbai a year after Aahana’s birth. Three months later Poonam also moved in to help her take care of the child. “She separated from her husband as he was not willing to shoulder Aahana’s treatment cost. She came to Mumbai to ensure the best medical attention to her daughter. Her entire life revolved around Aahana,” said Poonam. Aahana’s uncle Saibal Goswami said Aahana had developed jaundice three days after her birth in 2003. “She had to be rushed to Kolkata. She was diagnosed as being spastic and dystonic and even after being discharged from hospital was prone to infections due to poor immunity,” he said.“We have to give her foreign medicines that are not legally available in India but cheaper than Indian ones. For physiotherapy, we also visited special schools but either they charged high fees or were so far away that travel was costly. When she was young we had custom-made stirrups for her legs, but she has outgrown them and the new pair would cost us Rs 6,000-8,000,” said Poonam. The Goswamis are aware that living in Mumbai would no longer be possible. “My mother is a heart patient and has even developed uterine problems after constantly lifting Aahana. We are contemplating return to Kolkata,” said Goswami. Poonam gave her mobile numbers, 9322932231 and 9934582445, for anyone willing to help.
