New Delhi, India, April 8, 2026 — In an extraordinary convergence of digital influence and human compassion, social media influencer and social worker Prateek Kwatra successfully mobilised ₹9 Crore in public donations to fund a life-saving gene therapy for Baby Kaashvi, a 3.4-year-old child diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) — a rare and fatal neuromuscular disease. On 8 April 2026, Kaashvi received the Zolgensma gene therapy at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi — marking a historic milestone in India’s fight against rare genetic disorders.
Understanding the Crisis: What is SMA?
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a devastating, inherited neuromuscular disease caused by a deficiency of the survival motor neuron (SMN) protein, leading to progressive muscle weakness, respiratory failure, and in severe cases, death in early childhood. SMA is estimated to affect approximately 1 in 10,000 live births globally, with limited treatment options — all of which are prohibitively expensive.
Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec), developed by Novartis Gene Therapies, is a one-time gene replacement therapy widely considered one of the most expensive medicines in the world — with a price tag exceeding ₹16 Crore internationally. Baby Kaashvi’s family was left with no path forward — until Prateek Kwatra stepped in.
The Fundraiser That Moved Millions
Prateek Kwatra, known for his deeply personal and emotionally resonant content, brought Kaashvi’s story to his combined digital audience of over 90 million followers — combiningYou Tube, Instagram & Facebook — and appealed for their support with a message of urgency, hope, and collective responsibility.
The response was unprecedented. In a matter of weeks, the campaign crossed ₹9 Crore — collected through thousands of individual contributions from donors across India and the Indian diaspora worldwide. The fundraiser stands as one of the most successful individual crowdfunding drives for a medical cause in India.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Baby Kaashvi (Age: 3.4 years) diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
- ₹9 Crore raised through a mass crowdfunding campaign led by Prateek Kwatra
- Zolgensma gene therapy successfully administered at AIIMS, New Delhi on 8 April 2026
- Campaign reached over 90 million followers across YouTube , Instagram and Facebook
- One of India’s largest individual medical crowdfunding successes to date
The Treatment: A Landmark Day at AIIMS Delhi
On 8 April 2026, Baby Kaashvi underwent the Zolgensma gene therapy procedure at AIIMS New Delhi — one of India’s premier public medical institutions. The administration of the therapy represents not only a deeply personal victory for Kaashvi’s family, but also a broader signal of what is possible when India’s digital communities rally around a cause.
Zolgensma works by delivering a functional copy of the SMN1 gene directly into the patient’s motor neurons, arresting the progression of the disease. It is a one-time intravenous infusion that has shown transformative outcomes in clinical trials — with many children regaining motor milestones previously considered unattainable.
“This was never about me. This was about every single person who donated, shared, prayed, and believed. Kaashvi’s smile is the reward for 14 million hearts that beat together.”
— Prateek Kwatra, Influencer & Social Worker
About Prateek Kwatra
Prateek Kwatra is a nationally recognised social media influencer, content creator, and humanitarian based in India. With a YouTube subscriber base of over 5 million and a Facebook following exceeding 9 million, his platforms have evolved far beyond entertainment — they serve as active tools of social change.
Prateek has built a reputation as a compassionate and credible voice for the medically vulnerable, consistently using his reach to raise funds for critical patients who lack the resources to afford life-saving treatments. His campaigns are marked by transparency, genuine emotional investment, and a community-first approach that resonates with millions of followers.
Follow Prateek Kwatra on Instagram: @prateekkwatravlogs (instagram.com/prateekkwatravlogs)
A New Model for Medical Fundraising in India
Kaashvi’s case is a watershed moment in India’s healthcare philanthropy landscape. With the majority of SMA patients unable to access treatment due to cost barriers, Prateek’s campaign demonstrates that grassroots digital fundraising — when led with authenticity and reach — can bridge critical gaps in public healthcare.
The success of this campaign also shines a spotlight on the urgent need for systemic policy interventions — including price negotiations for rare disease therapies, increased public funding for gene therapy programmes, and formal frameworks for social media-led medical crowdfunding in India.
For media enquiries, interviews, and additional information, please reach out via Prateek Kwatra’s official social media channels.
Prateek Kwatra | Social Worker & Influencer | YouTube: 5M+ | Facebook: 9M+
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