It takes a village to help little Kalyani heal

When 9-year-old Kalyani’s distraught mother came to us last year, we saw her holding a child suffering from extreme eczema all over her body that was causing her immense irritation and pain. Born in a remote village called Telipada in the Mokhada tribal district, Kalyani was also very small for her age and could pass for a five-year old.

The day Kalyani and her mother came into our medical clinic, we happened to have some very special guests: a group of five Israeli doctors, led by Dr. John Borowski of the Maccabi Health Services. They had come to India on a pilot visit to plan a medical collaboration with GPM and a local medical school.

When Kalyani’s mother rushed in, Dr. Borowski was brought in for a consultation. And what a good thing he was! After a thorough investigation, Dr. Borowski sent photos of Kalyani’s skin to one of Israel’s leading dermatological specialists, Dr. Eve Finkelstein of Hadassah Hospital, who is known around the world for her ability to diagnose and treat difficult cases. Dr. Finkelstein recognized the condition and offered a course of treatment, one that had not yet been tried. Over the following months, Kalyani was treated according to the doctors’ instructions, while also receiving treatment for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) via the the GPM child malnutrition program. During those months, Dr. Borowski routinely checked in Kalyani from Israel to monitor her progress and report to his colleague.

And a wonderful thing happened. Over the course of a few months, Kalyani’s face almost entirely cleared up from rashes and her hair started to grow back.  

But there is still a problem. Although the eczema was mostly cleared from her face, her body is still covered with unsightly rashes and skin irritations.

Once again, our medical staff consulted with their Israeli colleagues and together decided on a course of treatment. Last week GPM staff admitted Kalyani to JJ Hospital in Mumbai for further treatment. It is going to take some time, but with love and attention of the medical staff caring for her – in India and in Israel – we are all confident that 2024 will be a time of great healing for Kalyani, as well as her family and all the children in GPM’s care.

At GPM, we are incredibly proud of our relationship with our cherished Israeli partners – and we look forward to many healing partnerships going forward.

For information and/or to donate to GPM's program to improve the antenatal care of tribal women with high-risk pregnancies, click here.