This Raksha Bandhan was more than just a celebration of sibling love because it became a symbol of life, sacrifice, and hope for two children in Mumbai. In the quiet corners of the hospital’s paediatric ward, a young girl gently tied a rakhi on her 11-year-old brother’s wrist – not just as a ceremonial gesture, but as a tribute to the life she helped save. 

Diagnosed with a rare and severe condition called Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID), the young boy had spent much of his childhood battling infections, undergoing painful treatments, and living under the constant threat of complications. His lungs were severely damaged, and he was dependent on monthly immunoglobulin infusions just to survive.

The boy's only hope for a cure was a Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT), which is a complex and high-risk procedure. In what the family considers divine intervention, the boy’s sister turned out to be a perfect 100 per cent HLA match — an extremely rare occurrence. Displaying courage beyond her years, she became the stem cell donor for her brother and unknowingly embodying the true essence of Raksha Bandhan—love, safeguarding and selfless giving.