Mid-Day Impact: Rs 1.3 crore raised in 24 hours for KBC baby

Ayansh Madan with his mother

On Friday, mid-day reported that Farah Khan had contributed her Kaun Banega Crorepati winnings of Rs 12.5 lakh towards the treatment of 17-month-old Ayansh Madan, who is battling spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The filmmaker is raising funds for prescription gene-replacement drug Zolgensma, which costs Rs 16 crore.

So moved was megastar-host Amitabh Bachchan by the child's plight that he too pledged to contribute to the cause, on the reality show. With the Gurugram-based baby's condition coming to everyone's notice through the episode and the reportage of this paper, countless people have come forward to do their bit. Vadodara-based Ashita Jain, who is raising funds for the treatment with Dr Neelu Guglani, says that donations of Rs 1.33 crore were made in the 24 hours following the episode's airing.

"Usually, we'd get donations of Rs 50,000 to one lakh per day. But after Farah ma'am's appearance on the show, we received donations of Rs 1.67 crore between Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Our total collection has jumped to Rs 7.98 crore so far," says a delighted Jain. With the collection reaching the halfway mark, she hopes they can attain their goal soon so that Madan's treatment can begin by October.

The filmmaker is touched that people have come together for a larger cause. Khan adds, "The response after the show has been overwhelming. The mid-day story was impactful too. So many people, including Mana Shetty, have pledged their contributions. Amitji had mentioned that if one person contributes Rs 10, and at least one crore people donate, then we can raise Rs 10 crore."

Also read: First big 'KBC 13' winner is MP village's first woman police sub-inspector