This tween content creator is living her dreams while navigating a medical issue

I think you should add some exercise to your routinerdquo The occasional ldquoSomeone take her phone awayrdquo and the piegravece de reacutesistance ldquoGym ja beta go to the gym kidrdquo mdash these are the kind of comments that 11yearold Gunit Kaur Banga gets on her Instagram videos mostly comprising dance and makeup tutorialsldquoKuch DMs mein bad language bhi rehti hai some DMs have bad language toordquo Banga tells us when we meet her and the family in Sion Her mother Chanpreet Kaur Banga 34 has been deleting profanityfilled DMs and nasty comments since one of the tweenrsquos dance videos first went viral two years ago Banga lives with a medical condition known as nephrotic syndrome which causes the kidney to leak too much protein into urine That in turn has caused swelling and weight gain in Bangarsquos caseldquoShe had never addressed the health issues before despite what she had been going through since such a very early age We just wanted her to do something that makes her happy She has always had this light that shone so bright ever since she was a baby we knew there was no stopping herrdquo says ChanpreetIn the past few months while the algorithm has been Bangarsquos friend bringing her more followers mdash now at 27000 mdash the comments have been anything but friendly Along with new followers says Chanpreet came the hate and bodyshamingldquoI wanted to shut the Instagram page I told Gunit she would find some other way to shine But she just told me to ignore the haters they didnrsquot matter She wants to continue making videos she has big dreamsrdquo says Chanpreet of her daughter who wants to become a social media influencer and actorGunit with her elder sister Anit l and parents Jasmeet Singh Banga and mother Chanpreet BangaShe adds ldquoIt was around this time that Gunit asked me if she could post a video addressing her healthrdquo On May 8 Banga put out a Reel on her Instagram gunit_banga explaining nephrotic syndrome and how she has been suffering from it since she was six years old ldquoThe neighbourhood kids I play with especially the boys would often tease me Online people were relentlessly mean I wanted to tell them what I have been through There are still people making snide comments but the intensity has decreased in the last two weeksrdquo says Banga whose words speak of a grace and maturity beyond her 11 years Itrsquos only her twinkling eyes open smile and her unassuming green Winnie the Pooh tshirt and navy blue Spongebob Squarepants skort that belie her ageIn a threepart video series the tween does her usual makeup tutorial with a voiceover about what has been happening with her health ldquoThe women in my family have a history of the disease so when I began to show similar symptoms my nani asked my mother to get me checked At first we went to many childrenrsquos hospitals until someone finally suggested we go to a kidney specialist The specialist confirmed it was nephrotic syndrome and I was told to go on steroids but my mom didnrsquot want that So I went through the alternative route for a while but nothing workedrdquo narrates BangaBanga with cousin and best friend Kanish Kaur BangaChanpreet recalls a painful biopsy that was conducted to confirm exactly which subtype of the condition Banga had ldquoThe biopsy was tough since they took out a small piece of the kidney When she came out of anaesthesia she was screaming I couldnrsquot take it and asked my sisterinlaw to go in to the patient room because I was unable to keep it togetherrdquoChanpreetrsquos sisterinlaw Jimmy Kaur Banga lives in the same building She looks at Banga with the same adoring expression as Chanpreet ldquoAmong the Punjabis no one addresses health issues so openly But she spoke about it and we are just so proud of her not getting bogged down by people who bodyshame her on every video Once someone had used her photo as a GIF to make fun of plussize people But Gunit is unstoppablerdquo Jimmy emphasisesldquoIsnrsquot she a pro We are so proud of her she was born to be in front of the camerardquo she adds smiling at the young Kiara Advani and Kriti Sanon superfan Bangarsquos grandmother Gurjit Kaur Arora chimes in ldquoHer mother had a chance in Bollywood but they asked us to cut her hair short Maybe Gunit will complete her motherrsquos wishrdquo She then goes back to her chants of the Jaap Sahib which she tracks with a tally counterJimmy Kaur Banga and Gurjit Kaur BangaBangarsquos cousin and BFF Kanish 8 swoops in and runs off with the gadget making a beeline for the star of the moment ldquoI love Gunitrsquos videos shersquos just greatrdquo says Kanish She and Banga are joined at the hip spending all day playing dancing and cuddling When Banga records her makeup videos Kanish patiently watches her apply her eyeliner with a steady handldquoWe had a sleepover last night we barely sleptrdquo she says Amid the boisterous chaos of the household we turn to Banga and can see the signs of sleep deprivation Looking tired she asks for a cup of tea and some biscuits with politeness that would put British high society to shame ldquoI am currently on steroids because I became very weak Doctors told me that I will grow out of the disease after 15 years of agerdquo she says with a shy smileldquoI hope I will get better and ask that everyone prays for me and others who have this disease we all should get well soonrdquo she says as we take her leave We hope so too little onelsquoIt can lead to kidney failurersquoDr Sharad ShethNephrotic syndrome occurs more often in South Asian countries than in Western countries Research has shown that around one to two per cent of Indians are afflicted with this and it occurs in individuals when they are extremely young Some 30 per cent of those who suffer from nephrotic syndrome are genetically prone to get it For 70 per cent it is an autoimmune disease Most children who get it because of genetics have a 50 per cent chance of outgrowing it in those who donrsquot outgrow it it eventually leads to kidney failure Dr Sharad Sheth Consultant and Head Nephrology Kokilaben HospitalWhat is nephrotic syndromeNephrotic syndrome is a kidney disorder that causes your body to pass too much protein in your urine which causes swelling in the body along with resulting weight gain It is also characterised by loss of appetite accompanied by weight loss for some A 2020 report by researchers from the Government Medical College and Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences and Hospital in Jammu reveals that 12 to 16 children out of every one lakh in India are likely to get the disease This is much higher than the incidence in Western countries which is two to three cases in every one lakh children states the reportlsquoCommunity is like familyrsquoBhavika ValechaAs a PR professional working with content creators we always encourage them to lead with honesty and authenticity When therersquos negativity or hate the best response isnrsquot always to defend mdash itrsquos to share their truth and stay true to their community For content creators their community is like family and opening up about personal experiences helps build a deeper connection Itrsquos not about reacting to hate itrsquos about being real And people always connect with that kind of honesty Bhavika Valecha Founder of Affluent India PRA resilient generationNyana SabharwalTodayrsquos children particularly those from Gen Alpha are demonstrating resilience With greater access to information and increasingly supportive environments many are learning to express themselves and face challenges mdash such as online bullying mdash with maturity well beyond their years At the same time more parents are becoming proactive and informed seeking therapy educating themselves and fostering open lines of communication to create a safe and nurturing home environmentAs adults we recognise that children are growing up in a world where complete protection from external risks isnrsquot always possible This makes it all the more vital to strengthen internal protective factors These include open and nonjudgemental family dialogue healthy selfesteem not solely based on achievements emotional security at home strong peer connections effective problemsolving skills and a sense of belonging and community These elements play a crucial role in equipping children to navigate the evolving challenges of their generation with resilience and confidence Nyana Sabharwal PsychotherapistatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params