In 2003, we saw a man die in an ICU. The family of the man was running from pillar to post looking for blood donors! The pain, agony and helplessness led to the formation of Sankalp India Foundation. For some time after that, we continued to see blood banks as institutions where blood should be provided when when there is a need. We continued to maintain donor lists! As we worked through the blood requests - we realised that by waiting to donate blood when people need, we were actually ensuring that the family goes through very anxious time.
The Sunday Diaries Little stories from our day care centers
Sundays are busy at Samraksha. Several families are there for the weekly therapy and counselling. Some are there just to chat about the upcoming transplantations scheduled for their children. I had a message delivered to me today by the mother of one of the children who had undergone transplant today.
He raised his hands for the customary greetings as he nervously walked into the counselling room. He was the father of a child who is being prepared for bone marrow transplantation for the last one year. Every Sunday he travels from Chamrajnagar so that we can give his child most carefully monitored therapy.
Although born and raised in Chennapatna, the town of toys, Syed Fahim’s childhood was not a joyous one. His life was different form the other little kids he met in school. Every month, he had to travel to Bangalore – 60 kilometers away from home – for a pint of blood, the only thing his body couldn’t produce. During the rest of his time, he had to juggle between studies and failing health.
Fahim was born in 2011. His mother Samren recalls how seven months after Fahim’s birth, he suffered heavily from cough, cold, and fever. Their local doctor referred him to St. John’s hospital in Bangalore.
In the last month alone, we came across two blood donation camps which we will cherish in the archives of our good memories. On 3rd Jan, Sankalp organized a blood donation camp with the Terapanth Yuva Sangh, a Jain institution located in Gandhinagar, Bengaluru. It was one of those rare camps where women donors outnumbered men.
A lady aged 54-55, who was one of the committee members, was the first donor for the day. What followed next was a crowd of saree-clad middle-aged housewives who were lined up to donate. In a camp where 49 people donated, more than half were women.
