My name is Thimme Gowda. I am a resident of Bangalore and work as a golf coach.
This is the story of my brother Yogesh Gowda.
Yogesh was a promising C category certified golf coach at one of India’s top golf courses in Hyderabad - The HGA (Hyderabad Golf association). He learnt his golf as a caddy first. He then coached at Bangalore Golf club before moving to Hyderabad. A horrific accident involving a Volvo bus on the Bangalore - Hyderabad highway turned his life upside down. He had 45% burns & almost died. But his fighting spirit & will to live ensured that he fought for his life. He now is very badly disfigured and 8 of his fingers have been amputated.
As a first step, he needs to undergo multiple plastic surgeries and other rehabilitation procedures .
We need to raise 8.1L ₹ through this campaign to do the same.
This is a request to help us fund this amount so that Yogesh can regain his life and get back to doing what he loves the most- coaching kids and adults alike in the sport of golf.
Before and after images of Yogesh.
THE DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT:
On the 30th of October 2013, Yogesh was travelling from Bangalore to Hyderabad in a Volvo. About 150kms outside Hyderabad, that ill-fated bus caught fire after hitting a culvert on the highway. More than forty people died, and just five passengers survived, all thanks to Yogesh’s presence of mind & efforts to kick open the emergency door. However, he suffered 45% burns and was in DRDO Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad for 4 months fighting for his life.
Image of the bus during and after the accident
For more information about the accident, please check the news articles in the FAQ section below.
The freak bus accident almost snuffed out the life, passion and livelihood of Yogesh who had struggled his way up from humble beginnings and had made himself a golf coach. The death of his father and brother-in-law who were bread winners had already put the family under dire financial pressures. Yogesh was the hope of the family until that ill-fated accident.
This tragedy not only changed his life but it has destroyed his dream of being a golf coach as the fire ate away his fingers. His fingers which are critical for a golfer, had to be amputated. Yogesh who was once an outgoing, bubbly, enthusiastic person, doesn’t even step out of the house today. Each time he does, he risks an infection or awkward stares from people.
One of our family’s saviors through this horrid time has been Dr. Ajayettan. He is a family physician. He has been visiting our house everyday for 1 whole year to help Yogesh with the dressings and keeping him safe from any infection.
THE SURGEONS AND HOSPITAL WHO ARE DOING THE SURGERY:
My brother Yogesh Gowda and I, were then introduced to the doctors at the Annasawmy Mudaliar General Hospital in Bangalore through the team at Fueladream.com. The hospital is located in Fraser town & they suggested a plan that involves – reconstructive surgeries for Yogesh, along with physiotherapy. The plan is to focus on and prioritize surgeries which will get him back to being able to hold a golf club & teach. This will also involve lengthening his fingers. The doctors at the Annasawmy Mudaliar Hospital in Bangalore are Dr. BA Anantharam & Dr. Anusham who are top Plastic surgeons & also happen to be golfers. They understand exactly what Yogesh needs .
For detailed information of the injury, please check the FAQ's section below.
The hospital is part of the Dhanvanthri Hospital Society.
This hospital does surgeries at a concessional rate & all the monies collected through this campaign will go only to the Society. 
The funds you pledge is eligible for 80G tax benefits. This campaign also accepts Foreign funds.
All the receipts for your donations will be generated & given to you from the Dhanvanthri Hospital Society.
COST BREAK UP OF THE RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERIES:
(These details are given by the doctors at the Annasawmy Mudaliar Hospital - part of the Dhanvanthri Hospital Society)
The reconstruction surgeries will happen in 3 stages :
The main aim of the reconstructive surgeries is to help Yogesh get back to coaching, help him stand on his own feet and continue supporting his family financially. These surgeries will take place over a 12 -15 month period as each procedure also has a recovery period. The total cost of the surgeries is ₹ 7.22L approximately. Including the crowdfunding campaign fees we are raising a total of ₹ 8.1L.
In addition to the above mentioned 3 stages of surgeries, if some finishing procedures may be "requested"/"planned"-- the Dhanvanthri Hospital Society is considering that to be "INCLUSIVE" in this campaign as part of their contribution to the cause to rehabilitate and restore this young man as far as possible.
Risks and challenges
* There can be delays in surgery timelines depending on how quickly Yogesh recovers from each procedure.
* The costs indicated take into account inflation and all possible additional costs .There maybe small changes in the exact cost
as these surgeries are planned over a 12-15 month period.
FAQs
Detailed clinical report of the injury:
- His injury at the bus accident took place in October 2013.
- He was hospitalised for 110 days at Apollo Hospital DRDO, Hyderabad.
- He had sustained a 45% Body Surface Area (BSA) burn of IIo & IIIo (degree).
- He has had four(4) major surgeries - to cover the burn affected areas on both hands,and around the eyelids,with a few pre-operative preparatory dressings.
- The back of the hand and parts of the forearm and arm, face and back have been grafted with skin grafts harvested from his thighs and calf.
- He has lost the tips of both thumbs and two segments of two fingers of both hands and one and a half of the distal segments of the other fingers of both hands. there is intense scarring of the palmar skin and palmar surface skin of the fingers resulting in shrinkage and deformity resulting in an inability to straighten the fingers and thumbs ( he cannot hold or even eat with bare hands).
- There is patchy scarring of the forearms and arms till the shoulder regions.
- The back though grafted and healed is heavily scarred.
- There is gross disfigurement of the face. There is however some residual deformity of the eyelids with drooping /outward eversion, also deformity of both upper and lower lips with a loss of the lip seal ( resulting in drooling of saliva). Gross deformity of nose with loss of the natural covering skin, and grafted ares of the supporting structures of nose.
- Severe scarring around the mouth with distortion of the lips compounded with scarring of the neck in continuity.
- Loss of both auricles (80% on the (R) and near total on the (L)).
- There is scarring on the back ( sort of butterfly wing pattern).
- Extensive use of Skin graft donor sites both thighs and (L) calf, and consequently very limited areas as donor sites for Split skin Grafts, indicating the need to consider extensive full thickness grafts and flaps for reconstruction.
News Articles of the accident:
