5 Nov 2026Day 6 in ICULatest
Waiting for one answer
A bone marrow test should tell us why her platelets keep disappearing. Until then, doctors keep giving her platelets and keep her bladder clear of clots.
Surgeons can still remove her cancer.
First, she has to leave the ICU.
Help my mother, Vidya Vati, get strong enough for the operation that can save her.
{{raisedFmt}} raised of {{goalFmt}}{{pct}}%
{{donorsFmt}} donors on Milaap so far. {{toGoFmt}} to go.
5,288 people helped spread her storyIt has reached lakhs of people
Chemo worked
6 cm → under 5 cm
Her ICU care today, so far
₹{{spentToday}}
Live estimate at ₹{{icuPerDayFmt}} a day
Where things stand
Two things stand between her and surgery.
1
Ongoing
Stop the bleeding
The tumour bleeds into her bladder. Doctors wash it round the clock.
2
Testing now
Steady her platelets
They fall within a day of every transfusion. A bone marrow test will tell why.
3
Next
Surgery at Kokilaben
Once she is stable, surgeons can remove the cancer.
Supporters
She’s not fighting alone.
The people who worked with Shiv, hired him and grew up around his mother, in their own words on LinkedIn.
“His mother never once treated me as anything less than her child. That kind of love doesn’t ask for anything back, but today, it needs us.”
“I hired Shiv at Sprinto. He is an earnest professional balancing his work and his mother’s illness as best as he can.”
“He has been one of the best colleagues I’ve had. I owe a lot of my success at Sprinto to his support in the GTM team.”
“Every month, I give 5% of Sales Tantra revenue to people who need it the most. Today, it’s about Shiv’s mom. I met Shiv 3 years ago, when his mom was battling her first round of cancer.”
“What moved me most is his transparency. Every medical report, every treatment estimate, is shared openly.”
“I still remember watching my own mother go through this. She recovered, healthy now. Let’s come together and support Shiv’s family.”
“Guru Nanak Sahib gave us Langar, a place where no one is turned away. Today I’m asking you to sit at a different kind of pangat.”
“One of the sincerest and hardworking people I know. I’ve seen him go through all of this along with giving his best professionally.”
“We care deeply about the people who work with us. This is me doing my little part to help a colleague and friend.”
“Shiv is a member of our team and his family is fighting this ordeal with everything they have got.”
“I’m sharing it in full because I think it deserves to be read, not just scrolled past.”
“Pray. Share. Contribute. Anything and everything counts and nothing is expected. Stay strong, Shiv.”
“Help a friend out. He worked with me in my previous stint and is going through a time of need.”
“An ex-colleague I’d totally vouch for. Please contribute if you can.”
“Sometimes, the smallest act of support can make a meaningful difference. Wishing her strength, healing, and a smooth recovery.”
“Amplifying my colleague Shiv’s appeal. All support at any level is welcome.”
“If you’re able to contribute, no matter how small, it would mean a lot.”
“Please spend some time to read Shiv’s mother’s story. Contribute in whatever ways you can.”
“A little contribution and sharing this campaign would go a long way.”
“Please support Shiv Shankar and his family!”
“Your mom is equally lucky to have such a doting son like you. Almighty is always kind to kind people.”
Updates
Updated every day. Nothing hidden.
What the doctors said, and how far she has come.
1 Nov 2026Day 2 in ICU
Six units in. Gone by the next day.
Her platelets fell to 22,000. Six units took them to 85,000; within a day they were near 25,000 again. Doctors fitted a larger catheter, started continuous bladder washing, and brought a blood specialist onto her team.
31 Oct 2026Day 1 in ICU
Straight into intensive care
A 7 cm clot had filled her bladder and her platelets were dangerously low. The surgery we had prepared for is on hold until she is stable.
29 Oct 2026
The surgeon says it can be done
Dr. Yogesh Kulkarni at Kokilaben explained the operation that can remove the cancer and ordered the tests to prepare her.
-
Nov 2023
Diagnosed with cervical cancer
Heavy bleeding led to the diagnosis. She had surgery in Lucknow.
-
Dec 2023 to Mar 2024
Radiation
25 sessions of radiation and 3 of brachytherapy. By March 2024, her treatment was complete.
-
2024 to 2025
Life felt normal again
Radiation damage caused bleeding in her bowel, treated twice with APC in Lucknow. Otherwise, she was recovering.
-
Jun 2026
The cancer came back
A biopsy confirmed it had returned, growing into her bladder and bowel, but not spread anywhere else.
-
Jul to Oct 2026
Chemo worked
Chemotherapy and immunotherapy at Apollo, Navi Mumbai, shrank the tumour from about 6 cm to under 5 cm. Surgeons at Fortis and Kokilaben said it can now be removed.
-
Since 31 Oct 2026
In the ICU at Kokilaben Now
Bleeding and falling platelets brought her into intensive care. Doctors are working to make her stable enough for surgery.
-
Next
Surgery
A pelvic exenteration to remove the cancer, with urology, colorectal and gynaecologic oncology surgeons.
-
Then
Recovery and home
About 20 days in hospital if all goes well, then recovery and follow-up care.
Where money goes
Every rupee, from first chemo to recovery.
Her full treatment, in the order it happens. Hospital estimates for what’s ahead; real bills for what’s done.
Total treatment cost₹55,01,345
Already spent₹17,34,600
Right now₹5,88,875
The surgery₹25,27,870
Recovery₹3,50,000
Unexpected costs₹3,00,000
How we’ve paid so far
₹23,23,475
Your donations on MilaapFrom {{donorsFmt}} donors, used for her bills₹12,34,458
Health insurance₹10 lakh cover, about ₹2 lakh leftabout ₹8,00,000
A loan we tookAlso covering our stay in Mumbaiabout ₹2,89,000
What’s left today: ₹95,644 of donations and about ₹2 lakh of insurance. That covers only a few more days in the ICU.
Still needed for surgery and recovery
₹31,77,870
The surgery (₹25,27,870), recovery (₹3,50,000) and a buffer for the unexpected (₹3,00,000). This is what our {{goalLakh}} goal on Milaap is for, together with the {{raisedLakh}} already raised.
We’ve got the receipts
Real bills from her treatment, newest first.
Spent so far
₹23,23,475
Surgery estimate
₹25,27,870
After-care
₹3,50,000
From 70+ pages of bills and receipts. Patient IDs and card numbers are kept private; ask Shiv if you’d like to see any original.
How to help
Three ways. Two minutes each.
With gratitude
The doctors who carried us through.
Each one of these doctors is part of why she’s still fighting, and we’re grateful to all of them.
From LinkedIn
Written from the hospital.
Nine posts since 2024, newest first. Every word written as it happened.
Shiv Shankar
{{p.date}}
{{p.title}}
Read the full post on LinkedIn
Who’s asking
I’m Shiv Shankar.
She’s my mom.
I grew up in a small village in Uttar Pradesh. Today I’m the sole earner for our family of four.
My career and her fight began at almost the same time. I work in revenue operations at Sprinto; before that, I was a sales development representative. For two years, I’ve been helping Mom beat this cancer.
Please join us in her fight.
Family
Four of us
Work
Revenue operations, Sprinto
My name, face and contact details are here so you know exactly who is asking, and who answers for every rupee.
FAQ
Fair questions. Straight answers.
How do I know this is genuine?
Milaap checks the medical documents of every medical fundraiser before it goes live, and only releases money against hospital bills. Here and on our Milaap page, you can see her real receipts, every doctor who has treated her, and the people who are standing with us. Ask me for her hospital patient ID (UHID) and you can verify it with Kokilaben directly. You’re also welcome to visit us at Kokilaben Hospital, Andheri West any time. Call or WhatsApp me on +91 91617 46668.
Where exactly does my money go?
Into the Milaap fundraiser for her treatment. Milaap only releases funds for the medical needs stated on the fundraiser, against bills, so it goes to her ICU care now and her surgery and recovery next. Every bill is listed above.
Does Milaap take a cut?
Milaap charges no platform fee. At checkout it may suggest an optional tip to Milaap, which you can change or set to zero. Banks and payment apps charge a small processing fee, roughly 1% to 3.6% depending on how you pay, which is why the amount we receive is slightly less than what was donated.
Can I donate from outside India?
Yes. Milaap accepts international credit and debit cards in several currencies. Foreign-currency donations to medical fundraisers are paid directly to the treating hospital. International cards carry a higher processing fee (about 3.9% plus 30 cents).
Can I claim a tax deduction?
No. This is a personal medical fundraiser, so donations are not eligible for 80G tax benefits. Milaap is not an NGO and only holds the funds for her treatment.
I can’t give money right now. How else can I help?
Donate blood or platelets at Kokilaben Hospital, Andheri West (7th floor), if you’re in Mumbai, or share this page in one WhatsApp group. Both matter as much as money right now.
What if the goal isn’t reached?
Every rupee still helps. Milaap lets us use whatever is raised for her treatment, even if we don’t reach {{goalLakh}}.
What if more is raised than she needs?
Her treatment is expected to cost about ₹55 lakh, more than our {{goalLakh}} goal, so we don’t expect a surplus. Milaap only allows funds to be used for her medical needs, and if anything is left, we’ll post here exactly how it was used.