16-year-old raises ₹1.5 lakh in 24 hours for little sister's surgery after heartfelt post goes viral
A 16-year-old boy raised over ₹1.5 lakh in 24 hours after taking to X to request funds for his sister’s urgent eye surgery.
A teenager expressed his gratitude on X after strangers helped him raise over ₹1.5 lakh for his sister’s urgent eye operation. The 16-year-old had previously posted an emotional appeal, asking online users for small donations, even as little as ₹10, to help cover her medical expenses.

What happened to her?
“Hi everyone, I am Ajayveer Singh Rathore, 16 years old. I'm posting here because my family is in a very difficult situation and I don't know where else to turn for help. My 12-year-old sister is facing the risk of losing her eyesight,” read a post shared from the X profile of Jay Singh Rathore. The post also showed pictures of an Aadhar Card of a kid born in 2013.
Explaining what happened to his sister, the brother wrote, “few months ago, her vision started getting blurry, and when we took her to Dr. Shroff's Eye Hospital in Delhi, the doctors diagnosed her with glaucoma along with vitreous hemorrhage (internal bleeding in the eye affecting her vision).”
In the thread, he shared that their mother passed away during COVID and now the siblings live with their father and grandmother. “My father is the only earning member of our family, working in the fields, and we don't have much savings left.”
How much did he need?
He claimed that they have already spent over ₹2.5 lakh but still needed ₹1.2 for the next surgery. He said the family managed to arrange a certain amount but were still short by a considerable amount.
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“Between our savings ~ and help from relatives, we have managed to arrange ₹50,000. We are still short by approximately ₹73,000.I have attached the medical reports, hospital bills, cost estimate and appointment documents so that people can verify the situation.”
He then urged people to help him save his sister, adding that he wasn’t asking anyone for a large amount. “Even ₹10 or ₹20 from people who are comfortable helping would mean a lot to us. If you cannot contribute, simply sharing the post may help us reach someone who can.”
What does his family do?
Rural Arga-based Rathore said, “We have some agricultural land and cattle, but right now most of what we have is already being used to manage our family's expenses and her treatment. I'm 16 and currently in 11th class. I feel extremely uncomfortable asking strangers for money, but I'm doing this because I don't want to sit and watch my sister lose her eyesight if there is still a chance to help her.”

Teen deletes payment details
He shared the post on September 21 and within just a day, he tweeted an update claiming that he has raised over ₹1.5 lakh. He also added that since the family had received more than they needed, he was removing the payment details, so as to not take more money from strangers.
“Brothers, I’ve deleted all the posts containing my payment information, so please don’t send any more money. I’ve received more than I needed, and I’m genuinely overwhelmed by your kindness. Thank you, every single person who helped, shared, donated, or even sent a kind msgs I’ll always be grateful for this. until my last breath,” Rathore updated. He shared a screenshot purportedly showing a balance of ₹1,58,282.58.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Hindustantimes.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
ABOUT THE AUTHORTrisha SenguptaTrisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More

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