For 21-year-old Kishlay Kundan, life has taken a literal tumble at a speed-breaker.
The first year BCA student of Brindavan College, Bangalore, is undergoing stem cell therapy at Manipal Hospital, after falling from a bike he was riding pillion. The spinal cord injury has left him immobile below the chest.
Kishlay was on his way home after working on a project presentation at a friend’s home on March 30, when the accident occurred, in R T Nagar. “It was at around 11.30 pm. My friend, who was riding the bike screeched to a halt just close to a speed-breaker, throwing me on to the road,” Kishlay said on Tuesday.
He was admitted to M S Ramaiah Hospital on March 31 with a head injury and cervical spine injury. He was later referred to Manipal Hospital for stem cell therapy.
Dr N K Venkataramana, neurosurgeon and Director, Manipal Institute of Neurological Disorders, explains Kishlay’s condition as “spinal cord injury at C5-6 fracture, leading to Traumatic Quadriplegia”. The doctors have initiated autologous stem cell therapy for the youngster.
“We’ve just started the treatment. It will take three to six months to really assess the patient’s response to the treatment,” Dr Sudheer, who is administering the treatment, said. Dr Sudheer said the doctors were hopeful that the treatment would ensure positive results for Kishlay because the world over, stem cell therapy was the best available option to treat spinal injuries.
K K Sinha, Kishlay’s father and a Railway employee, is having a tough time mustering up money for the treatment, Kishlay’s uncle Arpit Saurabh said. The family has already spent in excess of Rs five lakh in saving the youngster’s life. Kishlay has two younger sisters.
Help sought
The family has appealed to the public for monetary contributions to Kishlay’s treatment, that costs around Rs 3.25 lakh. The money can be sent to Sathyanarayan, Billing Department, Manipal Hospital, Airport Road, Bangalore with the following details on the cheque/pay order: ‘Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, Account of Kishlay Kundan, Hospital No. 803470’. For details, call 98444 55830.
