11-year-old Matilda Chelagat has been a patient at the Yashoda Hospital in India for one month.
She had travelled to the country to seek treatment for her condition, aplastic anaemia, but found herself stranded in the country after her parents were unable to raise funds to settle the hospital bill.
In a video feature by Standard Digital, Matilda's mother, Regina Chelagat narrated how the Kericho family had ended up so far from home.
Watch the video below:
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"We came here on account of my daughter who has been sick," begins Regina.
"She was undergoing treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret but the doctor advised that her illness could not be treated in Kenya," she continues.
The family then decided, on the doctor's recommendation, that it would be advisable to take Matilda to India for further treatment.
"He (the doctor) directed us to come here to Yashoda Hospital," Regina says, adding, "She suffers from aplastic anaemia and was to have a bone marrow transplant."
The transplant was however deferred after the family failed to raise the amount requested by the hospital.
"We had conducted a fundraiser while in Kenya but could not raise the Ksh3.5 million required by the hospital," Regina said.
Matilda had not received any medication or treatment for the one month they had been at the hospital.
Matilda asked the President and his Deputy to assist her and her family.
"I request the President, the Deputy President and all the people in Kenya to assist my parents," said Matilda.
She revealed that she had indeed been unwell and had remained at the hospital over a pending bill.
"I have been sick for a long time and I'm now at Yashoda hospital. I've been here for one month because my parents can't afford the bills," affirmed Matilda.
The 11-year old expressed her desire to return to the country to be with her friends and family and resume schooling.
India has been under lockdown since midnight March 25. The restrictions were to end on Tuesday, April 14, however, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the lockdown would remain in force until at least May 3.
