Rishi

Hello! Rishi is 15 years old and in the 10th grade. His favorite subject is Telugu, which is the regional language. When he is not at school his favorite thing to do is hang out with friends. He also really enjoys playing the piano at church every week during Sunday prayers. He has been diagnosed with von Willebrand disease. The nearest hospital where he can receive treatment is 230 kilometers from his home. He has to take a public bus to get there. This long distance makes accessing health care difficult and poses a great risk in the case of an emergency. Rishi lives with his parents, grandmother and older sister. His father works as an agricultural laborer, earning $160 a month to support the family. His mother is a housewife. His sister is a student. The family lives in a village outside of Vijayawada, India. They live in a two-room house made of concrete. They have a refrigerator but do not have indoor plumbing. Meals are cooked over a gas stove. Their home is modest and kept neat and clean. Sponsorship funds help pay for his school fees and transportation to the hospital.