G Keerthana is 12 years old and lives with her mother, Thurgai Ammal. Keerthana is an only child.
She attends the Hindu Middle School in Mavadi, studying at eight standard. As with S Mugila, the teachers urged the Grail Trust to help Keethana during Chairman Neil and trustee Lynda’s visit to the school last year.
Her father died almost six years ago, due to “sickness”. All medical treatment in India has to be paid for and with so many of our Grail Trust children having lost a parent or parents to “sickness”, it begs the question that did they die because they could not afford the cost of treatment? I certainly know of one family whose father died because there was no money to pay for the care needed.
Keethana’s mother is paid daily for her work. That means she has a menial job with meagre remuneration.
