A two-year-old boy of Indian heritage in Singapore recovered from a rare neuromuscular ailment and regained the ability to walk with the support of Singaporeans who contributed about 30 lakh Singapore dollars (Rs 16.68 crore) for his pricey treatment.
Devdan Devaraj is the sole child of an Indian government officer, Dave Deveraj, and Chinese interior designer Shu Wen Devaraj. Both the husband and wife are in their early thirties.
Devdan’s therapy included Zolgensma, a gene-therapeutic medicine that costs 29 lakh Singapore dollars (Rs 16 crore) and is regarded as one of the most costly pharmaceuticals in the world.
‘A year ago, my husband and I couldn’t even picture him walking. At that point, even standing was an issue. So to see him walk now and even ride a tricycle with some assistance is such a miracle to us’, mother Shu Wen Devaraj said.
With only ten days in August last year, 30,000 individuals gave a total of 28.7 lakh Singapore dollars (Rs 15.84 crore) to Devdan’s treatment through the crowdfunding charity ‘Ray of Hope’. Tan En, the general manager of Ray of Hope, said that the amount was the most ever donated for a single recipient on the site.
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Devdan was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at the age of one month, which causes muscle weakness that increases over time. If he is not treated, he may risk total immobility throughout his teenage years, as well as a slew of other issues.
Shu Wen Devaraj said, ‘We cannot thank the public enough for their donations and we will always be grateful to them. I hope they know that their kindness has changed Devdan’s entire life’.
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