Kozhikode, Kerala: A village in Kerala's Kozhikode district has come together to raise ₹50 crore to save the lives of three toddlers diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 2, a rare genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness.

The children, David Magnus Arun, Ethan Moses Arun and Oliver Jonah Arun, are the triplet sons of Arun and Shalmi, residents of Kallurutty in Omaserry panchayat.

The three brothers, aged just one year and eight months, are battling the same genetic condition. According to the family, this is the first reported instance in India of all three children born in a single delivery being diagnosed with SMA Type 2.

The family needs to raise an estimated ₹50 crore to support the children's treatment, including gene therapy.

SMA is a serious inherited neuromuscular disorder caused by insufficient levels of survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. The deficiency leads to the degeneration of motor neurons in the spinal cord, resulting in progressive muscle weakness.

The condition affects essential physical activities such as sitting, standing and walking. Children with SMA Type 2 typically develop symptoms during infancy and may experience increasing difficulty with movement as the disease progresses.

All three children are currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode.

As the family faces the enormous financial burden of treatment, residents and community organisations have joined hands to mobilise support.

WhatsApp groups and dedicated Instagram and Facebook profiles have been created to coordinate fundraising activities and reach potential donors.

A fundraising committee has also been constituted, with Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, MP M K Raghavan, MLAs C K Kasim and P K Firos, District Panchayat President Milly Mohan and Mukkam Municipality Chairperson K P Chandni serving as patrons.

Omaserry Grama Panchayat President Super Sauda has been appointed chairperson of the committee.

The fundraising campaign aims to secure the financial assistance needed to provide the three brothers with continued medical care and access to gene therapy.

Bank account details for contributions

Account Name: Arun P.D.
Account Number: 21360100162505
IFSC Code: FDRL0002136

Important instructions for donors

Those contributing through Google Pay using a UPI ID have been advised not to enter the ID in the application's main search bar. Instead, they should select the 'Pay Anyone' option and enter the UPI ID there. Donors are requested to verify the recipient's details before completing the transaction.

For contributions made directly to the bank account, donors have been advised to use their bank's official mobile banking application rather than the bank transfer feature available on UPI applications such as Google Pay or PhonePe.