Kalyan: After Ranjana Gaikwad, 38, died when the plaster and a portion of the ceiling of her house in Suryanagar collapsed on her while she was sleeping, five days ago, she left behind three children groping in the dark about their life ahead. One of them, 18-year-old Pradnya, who was lying next to her mother, sustained severe injuries and is being treated at Sion Hospital.
Their helplessness is acute, given that they had lost their father to heart attack, a year ago. Their mother used to make ends meet by working as house-help in neighbourhood homes.
Now, residents of Mharal village have come together in a show of strength to pull the siblings out of their present state of gloom, while relatives are paying for their education.
The villagers have started putting together a kitty of contributions to pay for Pradnya’s treatment and her siblings’ further education.
According to a relative, Pradnya has lost her right eye in the incident, the bone of her nose has broken and the nerve affected. She also suffered injury on her jaw, which was operated on recently. Hospital sources said she needs to undergo multiple surgeries still.
Priti, 20, and Raj, 16, are being looked after by a relative, the Bhadrages. “The children are clueless about their lives. I approached the villagers to make a contribution and support them – the donations ranged between ₹500 to ₹2,000 per head,” said Rahul Bhadrage, 43.
Another resident from the village, Vivek Ghambhirrao, 38, said everyone in the village knew the family and the children were loved. “One of my friends from America contributed ₹10,000 after learning about the incident. People are giving whatever they have. We will hand over all the money to the children so that they can pay the hospital bills and fund their education,” said Ghambhirrao.
“Pradnya has multiple stitches on her face and is having trouble breathing,” added Bhadrage.
The villagers have managed to collect ₹1 lakh in the last two days, and are approaching NGOs and trusts for help. Nilesh Deshmukh, former sarpanch of the village, also took it upon himself to collect funds. Deshmukh said, “Our aim is to pay for the children’s education and their basic needs. The villagers have been very forthcoming.”
A third year B.Com student, the older sibling, Priti, wishes to continue her higher education and find a good job. “I have to look after my siblings. We are with relatives right now, and I am afraid to return to our home where our mother died,” she said.
