COIMBATORE: Within just three days, a pair of siblings from Coimbatore’s Sivananda Colony lost both their parents to Covid-19.
And five days later, the disease claimed their maternal grandmother too. The boys, aged eight and 15, had dreamt of becoming engineers, but now stare at an uncertain future.
They’re being brought up by their paternal grandmother K Saradha, whose only source of income is her late husband’s pension of Rs 8,000.
Speaking to Express, Saradha recalled how her son Dhanraj (45) died at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on May 15, and his wife Jayanthi at ESI Hospital on May 18. On May 23, Jayanthi’s mother too passed away.
“The series of deaths brought great sorrow to the family,” the woman said, adding that there are more troubles ahead.
The two boys, who are in classes 4 and 10 at a private school near here, have allegedly been restricted from attending online classes due to a delay in paying the school fee.
Recalling how tragedy struck the family, Saradha said, “Jayanthi exhibited the symptoms of Covid-19 first, and after getting her admitted to ESI Hospital, Dhanraj fell sick and was admitted to CMCH. Jayanthi’s mother was next in line.”
“We faced a difficult time from residents of the apartment where Dhanraj and his family lived. It was very tough for us after they tested positive for Covid-19.
I also had to run from pillar to post to get Dhanraj an oxygenated bed at CMCH,” Saradha recalled, adding that she’s planning to move to a rented house in Mettupalayam and bring up her grandchildren there.
When asked what Dhanraj did for a living, she said he ran a pharmacy that became debt-ridden.
“I only get a meagre pension, and don’t know how I will support these boys,” she said, and requested for help to bring up her two grandchildren. Saradha can be contacted at 82209 38162.