India: Kerala woman offers ‘Mother’s Body Organs For Sale’ to pay the medical bills of her children

Last week, a woman from the South Indian state of Kerala has offered to sell all her organs to meet the medical expenses of her children. The 44-year-old woman, Santhi, placed a signboard in front of the shack in which she stayed with her five children in Kochi, stating that ‘Mother’s body organs for sale (including the heart) to pay for her children medical care and pay off debts.’

Reportedly, her eldest son, who was the sole breadwinner of the family, was involved in an accident in July last year and has undergone brain surgery. Her second son has been mentally ill since his birth while her 11-year-old daughter also has been suffering from a neurological ailment because of a road accident.

Meanwhile, her third son lost his job with the onset of COVID-19, and one child is still in school, reportedly.

Talking to the Indian media sources, Shanti said: “We have been staying here at a rented house for long. The situation has come to such a pathetic state that we are unable to pay our rent. Three of my children have serious health complications and are unable to work. We have sought the help of kind-hearted people to settle debts of around Rs20,00,000 (Dh91,983). All doors have been closed on our faces, and we can’t go on more like this.”

Santhi said that she was abandoned by her husband when she was pregnant with her youngest child. Initially, she used to work as a driving teacher, but after her daughter became unwell, she stopped going to work to take care of her. As her protest attracted the local media attention, the family was shifted to a shelter home, and the state government promised to take care of the treatment of the children. Health Minister K K Shailaja also assured her that she would look into the hospital expenses.