Shobita Khanna

Six-year-old Shobita (name changed), a bright student from Howrah, Kolkata, was diagnosed with a severe steroid-resistant strain of Systemic Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in 2016. The treatment required four injections for which the expenses were to be paid over three installments of six months each. During the intermittent periods of relief after the initial treatment, Shobita tried to resume schooling but again faced challenges as her fever persisted, and the impact of the steroid-heavy medicine took a toll on her spirits. In late 2017, she returned to the hospital for another round of treatment. Ekam Foundation Mumbai, newly partnered with hospitals in Kolkata, took on Shobita’s case referred by a local hospital, and generously supported her case in 2018-2019. Shobita responded well to the medications and is now on her way to good health.