In a small tribal village of Madhya Pradesh, a 3-year-old boy was showing signs of muscle weakness. His family had no access to specialized hospitals and assumed it was just a nutritional issue. Through an NGO, they came across Lightening Lives’s affordable molecular test, and he was quickly diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Timely diagnosis allowed the family to start supportive therapy early, join patient support groups, and prevent years of uncertainty. For the first time, they felt empowered with knowledge, not fear.

A tribal couple from Chhattisgarh lost their first child to Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) without ever knowing the cause. When they approached us through a government screening platform, during their second pregnancy, we carried out carrier testing. Results showed both parents carried the SMA mutation. With genetic counseling and early testing, they made an informed decision that prevented the recurrence of this devastating disease. Today, they have a healthy child, and the couple often says—“We didn’t just save a child, we saved our family’s future.”

In a tribal hamlet of Odisha, a young couple came to us after noticing similar breathing difficulties, muscle weakness, severe anaemia and prolonged repeated infections in two children in their extended family. Our robust molecular testing revealed both were carriers of Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA). With this knowledge, they were able to avoid passing the condition on to their children. This simple, quick test broke a generational cycle of suffering that the community thought was “fate.” For the first time, science brought hope.

A tribal mother in Jharkhand brought her 6-year-old daughter to a local health camp where we were conducting awareness and testing. The girl was diagnosed with DMD at an early stage. The mother also underwent carrier testing and was found positive. With this crucial knowledge, the family received counseling and could make informed choices for future pregnancies. They told us, “We never knew such testing existed for people like us. You have given us knowledge that will save our next child.”