Urgent appeal from parents Lifeline for one-year-old Sanumi suffering from end-stage liver disease

• To offer aid or for further information, please contact: W.A. Susantha Weerasuriya (Father): 0759782131 

• Donations can be sent to:  Bank of Ceylon Welimada Branch Savings Account: 88318414 Account Name: P.M. Malani

One-year-old Sanumi Imanshi’s life could end at any moment if urgent help does not come her way soon due to a critical medical condition she is suffering from. Sanumi has been diagnosed with end-stage liver disease resulting from a delayed presentation of biliary atresia.

Sanumi needs to undergo a liver transplant later this month in Chennai, India. Her parents are in a constant race against time to save their little daughter’s precious life. They are required to raise a total of Rs. 15 million to cover the life-saving procedure and associated costs.

The distraught parents, Susantha Weerasuriya (38) and P.M. Malani (33) from Welimada, are urgently appealing for financial assistance from donors in Sri Lanka and abroad, as they find it extremely difficult to accumulate such a large sum within a short period due to the economic hardships they are currently facing.

Sanumi’s father, Weerasuriya, previously worked as a labourer in gardens, while her mother, Malani, was a tea plucker at a tea estate in the area, when their daughter was found to be suffering from the disease. As daily wage earners, they are now unable to earn an income, as they must continually attend to their daughter’s medical needs. The couple also has another girl child, aged seven. 

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Weerasuriya said: “There had been no visible issues when Sanumi was born last year. The physical symptoms of the fatal condition began to appear when she was about three months old, with her eyes turning yellow”.

The Critical Diagnosis

Sanumi was evaluated at the Colombo North Centre for Liver Diseases (CNCLD) in Ragama. However, due to the complexity of the operation, the high level of risk involved, and the absence of a blood-group-compatible donor, local doctors declined to perform the liver transplant. Her only hope now is to travel overseas for a paediatric liver transplant.

The need for immediate action is clear: Sanumi suffers greatly at night, is severely underweight, and exhibits worrying symptoms, including significant swelling, pronounced yellowing of the eyes, and dark yellow urine.

The Immense 

Financial Burden

Sanumi’s treatment plan involves travelling to Chennai, India, for the transplant surgery, which requires an estimated stay of two and a half months. The total Rs. 15 million needed also includes essential living expenses for the family during their stay in India.

Despite their best efforts — including selling tickets on buses and appealing through newspapers — they have managed to collect only Rs. 3.1 million at the time when the writer of this article approached the parents.

The family is facing severe hardship and is urgently seeking help to bridge the enormous financial gap. Local authorities, including the police and the Grama Sevaka, are aware of their desperate circumstances and have offered assistance in every possible way.

Every donation, large or small, brings this family closer to the Rs. 15 million goal needed to secure this urgent, life-saving transplant.