Help Sandeep Billam Fight His Way Back

I never imagined I'd be writing this about my dearest childhood friend.

Sandeep is 27 years old. He's a software engineer here in California, originally from Medak, Telangana. Many of us have known him for over 15 years.

He's the friend who says yes before you've finished asking and treats your problem like it's his own. At work, he is a very dedicated individual. He is a great human being and he is fighting for his life right now.

What happened

Last week, driving home from work, Sandeep suffered bleeding in his brain. It caused a seizure, and he collapsed behind the wheel. He was taken to Washington Hospital in Fremont, where he has been in the ICU ever since.

His condition

What the doctors have found is serious, and it is complicated.

The bleeding in Sandeep's brain caused a stroke. Scans have also shown an abnormal swelling of a blood vessel in his brain the underlying problem that has to be treated if he is going to survive. On its own, that would be a difficult and delicate procedure. But during the seizure, fluid entered his lungs, and he has developed pneumonia.

That is what makes his case so precarious. His lungs and his heart are already under strain, which limits what his doctors can safely do for his brain. The treatment he needs is the treatment his body is currently least able to withstand. His medical team is working through a series of procedures, weighing every step against the risk it carries.

So far, Sandeep has not responded to the treatments he has received. He remains unconscious. His condition is unstable, and every day is uncertain.

We are holding on to hope. But we are not being told to expect anything easy.

His family

Sandeep's parents and younger sister are in India. They depend on him. They are sitting thousands of miles away, waiting for news about their son and their brother, able to do nothing but wait and pray. There is no way to describe what these last days have been like for them.

Why we're asking for help

Sandeep does have medical insurance, but the coverage is limited nowhere near enough for what lies ahead. What he and his family are facing includes:

Emergency surgery and the series of procedures his doctors have planned

An extended ICU stay

Medications and ongoing treatment

Basic living and family expenses during this time, including support for his parents and sister

He has spent his whole life taking care of everyone else. This is our chance to take care of him.

Our goal: $200,000

This fundraiser is organized by Sandeep's family and by close friends. Every dollar goes directly to his family, with the majority going specifically toward his medical care.

How you can help

Donate — any amount, however small, makes a real difference

Share — if you can't give, sharing this with your friends and network costs nothing and helps just as much

Pray — his family has asked for prayers above everything else

We are praying that Sandeep comes back to us the same kind, funny, endlessly generous person we have known for most of our lives. Please help us give him that chance.

Thank you for your support, your kindness, and your prayers. They are carrying his family through the hardest days of their lives.