A 10-year-old boy suffering from the after-effects of a head injury passed away here on Tuesday, even as his mother was appealing for euthanasia for the child as she had no money left for his treatment.
Harsha Vardhan, son of Aruna (30), a daily wager hailing from Birjepalle village of Chowdepalle mandal, had suffered a debilitating fall four years ago which led to the boy suffering from frequent bleeding from the nose and other ailments. His mother, who was raising him alone ever since his father deserted the family last year, was struggling to make ends meet.
Over the course of the past year, the boy’s ailments had become pronounced and had increased in frequency.
With no solution in sight to her son’s predicament, Ms. Aruna decided to approach the court seeking euthanasia for Harsha Vardhan. On Tuesday morning, the woman arrived along with the boy at the Junior Civil Judge court at Punganur, 15 km from her village, to appeal for euthanasia.
However, with hardly any staff present at the court, the woman decided to return home. By then, Harsha Vardhan was showing signs of fainting, along with heavy bleeding from his nostrils. Even before he could be taken to a hospital, Harsha Vardhan breathed his last.
His last rites were performed later in the village. People stayed away from the funeral due to COVID fears.
Gurunatha, the mother’s elder brother, said that the family tried their best to get the boy medical help but in vain.
When contacted, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) secretary I. Karuna Kumar said that due to lack of knowledge about euthanasia, some frustrated and impoverished parents were coming forward seeking mercy killing for their children.
