Rahul is a cheerful kid, his bright eyes and happy demeanor belies the fact he had to go through a lot at tender age of two. But with the Grace of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, he is now free of his ailment.

Rahul was born with a rare birth defect in which the bladder develops outside the foetus. And this bladder can't store urine or function normally, resulting in urine leakage (incontinence). This is called Bladder Exotropia. Not only that, Rahul’s urinary bladder was not completely formed and added to that his anal passage was also blocked.

Rahul’s parents Satinder and Sunita live in a village in the state of Madhya Pradesh, which is almost 50 kms from the nearest town. They have an acre of land which feeds the large family of 7 members. Along with Satinder and Sunita there is Satinder’s brother Shiv and his wife and their old parents. The family’s monthly income is around Rs.14000 ($175). 

The parents were extremely worried when they witnessed the condition that their kid was born with. They visited Balaghat, the closest town. In Balaghat they consulted a paediatric surgeon who opened the anal passage by performing a surgery. But for the bigger problem, he asked them to consult another hospital nearby where a senior Urologist from Mumbai would visit once a month.

The parents took Rahul to that hospital. The surgeon after taking a look at the boy told that a major surgery had to be performed for him and told them to visit his hospital in Mumbai. He also told them that as it was a complex surgery it would cost a lot of money.

The parents then went back home unable to figure out what to do. In their village there was Sai Centre, which the family would visit for Bhajan and Service activities. The coordinator of the Sai Centre advised the parents to have Swami’s Darshan in Puttaparthi and told them that Swami Himself will show them a way. Then Rahul, the paternal uncle of the Rahul, Shiv along with his wife and sister-in-law visited Puttaparthi, with the Sai Centre Coordinator in tow for the Darshan of Bhagawan Baba. They had one prayer, that Bhagawan should cure the little Rahul of the disease. Shiv also carried the medical reports of the boy just in case he felt the Swami’s hospital in Puttaparthi may be able to help.

“We had the little boy’s reports with us and we knew that there was a beautiful hospital Swami was running in Puttaparthi. We did not know whether the treatment Rahul wanted would be available there. Yet we thought may be we should try once. ” Shiv said. The family had the Samadhi Darshan of Swami in Prasanthi Nilayam and fervently prayed that Swami should take care of the boy. 

“We came to the entrance of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram, Puttaparthi and showed the reports at the gate. We already knew that the best treatment was provided totally free of charge to all the persons,” Shiv said

Generally patients are seen with appointment, but as it was a complex case Rahul was sent to the Urology doctor. “The surgeon of the Urology department checked the reports and also examined the Rahul and said that it was a complex surgery, but if we were willing then they will perform the surgery. “We were so relieved when we heard that. We were more than willing,” Shiv said.

Rahul was sent for registration. Here something interesting happened.

“We had come late to the hospital and when we went for registration, it was closed for the day.  We did not know what to do. We sat outside the Screening and Registration Block feeling dejected. I was also fervently praying to Swami to please take care,” Shiv said.

“A gentleman wearing whites came to us and asked us what the matter was? I told him that the registration counter was closed for the day and we were stranded. He told us not to worry. He took our identity cards, took us to the registration counter, switched on the computer and registered the boy and sent us to the Urology OPD,” Shiv said. 

Here is the interesting part. “I have visited the hospital on several occasions after our first visit and have also performed Seva in the hospital later, but I have never seen that person again,”he added. “I have firm faith that the person who did the registration for us that day was Swami Himself, who was moved by our fervent prayers,” he added.

Once inside the Urology OPD the senior consultant examined the patient and then told the Rahul’s mother the same thing what they had heard before registration. It is a complex surgery, but if they were willing, it could be done. “We agreed,” said Rahul’s mother Sunita. Rahul’s father Satinder joined the group just before the surgery.

Rahul was admitted in the Urology department of the hospital, on October 14, 2023. Initially an endoscopy was performed and later the major surgery. The little boy stayed in the Urology Intensive Care Unit for around 4 days and was later shifted to the Urology ward. He had an uneventful recovery. The family was then counselled and Rahul was discharged from the hospital.

According to Senior Consultant, Urology, Dr. Ashwin Sekhar, bladder exstrophy epispadias complex is one of the most difficult conditions in pediatric urology to manage as it necessitates complete reconstruction of the child’s lower urinary tract which is unfortunately not fully developed. Due to its rarity, there is a lack of expertise among urologists and pediatric surgeons, hence most of these patients either don’t get operated at all or have multiple failed attempts at surgery. Further, since it is a 8-10-hour long complicated surgery, it has to be done in centers with good pediatric anesthetic and critical care facilities. Another hindrance is the cost factor since this condition may need multiple surgeries, the cost in private establishments can easily cross 2.5 – 3 lacs which most of the families are unable to afford. In Rahuls case, we were able to reconstruct his bladder in one stage and make him fully continent. And all this treatment was provided totally free of charge as it is with all kinds of treatment in Bhagawan Baba's hospital. 

The visit to the hospital and the treatment of Rahul had a profound impact on family.

“There is so much love towards the patients in the hospital. The doctors and nurses were treating my son as if he was their own son. Only a mother can take care of the kid like the hospital staff have taken care of my son. Where do we see this anywhere else. I am so happy that the surgery for my son happened in Swami’s hospital,” Sunita said.

“Whenever we go to hospitals elsewhere we have a concern that even if we are able to pay the money, whether we will receive the right treatment. After seeing the treatment in Bhagawan Baba’s hospital I can say, we will not get such treatment anywhere else. Even if we pay the money,” Satinder said.

Echoing a similar emotion, “Satinder brother Shiv, the uncle of Rahul, said that in Swami’s hospital all are treated the same way, rich or poor, all go through the same process and this discipline is the hallmark of Swami’s hospital.

Jai Sai Ram