Wish fulfilling NGO struggling to fulfill the dreams of terminally-ill children
Wish fulfilling NGO struggling to fulfill the dreams of terminally-ill childrenFifteen-year-old Kanchan Kalpesh Choudhry wants to be a pilot. There isn't anything particularly remarkable about this dream, only, there are nearly 80 people trying to turn it into a reality. Kanchan suffers from sarcoma, a cancer of the connective tissue and the Make A Wish Foundation know only too well that they ought to work hard at making it happen before it's too late.
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One of the 'Make A Wish' children whose wish of going to Manali was fulfilled |
The parent organisation, Make A Wish Foundation International, was started in the United States in 1980, and came to India in 1996. Their aim is simple enough: volunteers work their way through several hospitals, to get to know the dreams of terminally ill children between the ages of three and 18. Then they set about trying to make them come true. But that part isn't as easy as it looks. Sadaf Husain, national coordinator, corporate partnerships and communication, rues that the recession has hit the NGO badly though their financial position wasn't too great earlier either. "But our biggest supporters, the Jeweller's Charity Fund, who have been financing us for five years, had to bow out earlier this year," she explains. The reason: several diamond merchants went out of business thanks to the economic slowdown.
Despite this, recently, a child suffering from Thalissemia Major, managed to fulfill her dream of visiting Kashmir with her entire family. "The cost came up to Rs 1,20,000 but it was entirely worth it. She couldn't believe that her dream had come true," says Sadaf with a smile.
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It has never been easy, though. As Sadaf informs us, at any given time, there are more than a hundred wishes pending. The national coordinator even talks of a few instances in which the wishes, tangible gifts in some cases, did come true but a little too late. "We managed to buy an N97 mobile phone for a little girl but when we got to the hospital with it, we learnt that she had passed away," says Sadaf.
The problem lies in the fact that Make A Wish does not come under the corporate or individual purview. "A corporate organisation or even anyone for that matter would rather contribute to a school or a slum rehabilitation, they want to put their money into something they can actually see grow. Our children don't survive. It's not a sustainable programme," she says. Sadaf explains that they had to change the terminology too, from terminally ill children, to those suffering from life-threatening diseases in the hope of attracting more benefactors.
In some days, a paraphlegic Indian girl from New York, Salma, will be coming here to fulfill her wish. "Make A Wish Foundation International manages to fulfill children's wishes to travel abroad. We struggle to get them organised within the country," says Sadaf.
When this story was being filed, Make A Wish was trying to pull off a Mumbai Darshan for a cancer patient whose chemotherapy is due to begin today.
Sadaf is aware that she can take Kanchan for a free chopper ride on any helicopter but is determined to grant the 15-year-old her wish as is. "She wants to be a pilot and fly a plane and I'd like to make that happen," she says.
Here's how you can make a differenceSeveral wishes involve the procurement of one item i.e cycles, DVD players, mobile phones with cameras, televisions, music systems etc. All wishes granted by individuals will be tax exempted. A video recording of the child will also be sent to the donor.
If you wish to contribute, do call Make-A-Wish u00ae Foundation of India at 022 24461344 or +919819074944
