Holy Angels’ School, Nanthancode, Trivandrum brought on such a bit of light into one family’s life – a follow up action on our blog post ‘What is it Like to be a 13-year-old with Cerebral Palsy in India?‘

Holy Angels' students visting Arun G Raj's home

Here’s a report on the Holy Angels’ action, from Indian Express:

Showering light into darkness
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – Oct 25, 2011

Anyone who visits the 13-year-old spastic child Arun G Raj – confined to a leaky brick-walled room – would realise how blessed they are. So it was for the 15 students of the Holy Angels’ School, who saw him at Panathura on Monday.

The students and teachers of the Holy Angels’ School had decided to help this teenager, who cannot walk, stand or even sit without help, after reading an article titled ‘Care From a Mother’s Heart’ published in the City Express on September 16.

The students, motivated by their principal Sr Linis Noronha, started a campaign on the ‘Joy of Giving’ week, collecting little donations to help Arun in some way or the other. They interacted with the NGO Pallium India, to decide on the best way to help out Arun’s family.

Little acts of kindness finally heaped into a massive Rs 76,500, almost the amount that the building engineers said would be needed for renovating the little shack which belonged to Arun’s aunt, Suprabha.

A widow herself, Suprabha has been giving shelter to Arun and his mother Ajitha ever since Arun’s father died.

Not only will these students be able to replace the leaky roof, but the money can also light up the little house where Arun lives. Until now, the nights were jet black; for, they could not electrify the house with the leaky roof. Electricity might also mean that the life of little Arun can be made happier with music, because Arun shows a keen interest to the different sounds he hears.

The dismantling of the roof, concreting and electrification is estimated to cost Rs 80,000. Plastering and changing window shutters would need a little more money.

Ajitha, Suprabha and the volunteers of Pallium India hope that the light lit by the youngsters would be carried on by others in the society.

Bindu

Prakash came in with a donation for Pallium India on the occasion of his father-in-law’s death anniversary. His wife, Bindu, had wished it. And had died six days after her father.

Bindu had been under Pallium India’s care for quite some time. Life was not easy for her especially towards the end.

Yet, during those last few days, she had intimated her desire not only for this donation, but also for something most people would not do.

Bindu did not want her body cremated, but wanted it donated to a Medical College so that medical students could dissect it and learn anatomy. She wrote down her desire and intimated it to Prakash, who was determined to fulfill her wish.

But it was not easy. Traditions and rituals stood in the way. Many relatives found it  hard to accept the situation.

Fortunately for Prakash, an uncle took a firm stand and declared, “Her desire WILL be fulfilled”.

Prakash went through the formalities and handed over her body to Alleppey Medical College.

Bindu, thank you for this lesson in giving. We bow to your memory.

Prakash is now an informal consultant on the formalities for anyone who wants to do the same thing for themselves or a loved one.

With their own brand of fund-raising – they could draw and paint – the boys sold their drawings and paintings to their school mates and raised an amazing Rs 300,000!

Farhin (10) & Farhan (8) handing over their amazing donation!

Farhin and Farhan, as I write this, I am proud to be a citizen in the same country as you. You have taught us grown-ups a lesson. And in the process, perhaps you have learnt a lesson too; how much pleasure can be derived from doing some good to less fortunate neighbours.

May that spark of greatness of spirit live in you all your lives.

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India decided to withdraw small denomination coins of 25 paise or less. One could take the coins to the bank and encash them before a certain deadline, but friends, most of us would not bother, right?

Alan and Val Phillips

Alan and Val did something different. They had containers placed in many places where people were asked to drop their small denomination coins. Recently, they brought all the coins to us – quite a sackful!

We took it to the bank and got more than Rs1,300. That is not a small amount for us. It takes care of the palliative care expenses of a patient for about 10 days!

Alan reminds us that the members of the Rotary Club (Suburban) of Trivandrum and the foreigners living in and around Kovalam helped. Thank you all, dear friends.

Val and Alan have given us a lesson on the need to be innovative and, above all, shown that they care. THANK YOU!

• If Val and Alan have inspired you, don’t forget to pledge to our “Share to Care” programme…

click for invite and full event details (pdf)

By signing up to the “SHARE TO CARE” program you will be pledging to give a share to the needy when you celebrate or observe a birthday, anniversary or other important event in your life.

This pledge will support provision of pain relief and palliative care to the needy.

You are cordially invite you to attend the launch of the program!

If you’re in any doubt about the difference caring by sharing can make, take a look at just a few examples from our blog:

• A wedding: One Wedding and a Flood of Donations
• A memorial: Memories Are Made of This
• A collection: Thank You, Bindu!
• A celebrity: Manna from a Star!
• Another wedding: Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

We were worried about finding the funds for this, when Professor Balachandran Nair, a cardiovascular surgeon and secretary of the Freemason (Lodge Trivandrum No.168) dropped in and offered us a vehicle.

Manna falling from Heaven! We understand that many members of Freemasons’ Club contributed liberally to make this happen.

Thank you!

Kevin & Judith

Judith McEniery, an Australian Palliative Medicine specialist from Ipswich, Queensland visited palliative care services in South India during 2009. In 2010 she came to Trivandrum for a brief time and became aware of Pallium India and the work supported by the Trust.

In January 2011, Dr McEniery and Mr Kevin Prout, a business analyst with MBF Health Fund, were to be married; overcoming the Queensland floods(!) in the process: “Love triumphs in flooded Ipswich”.

In lieu of the usual gift giving, they asked their wedding guests to support the work of Pallium India with a monetary donation. Judith spoke briefly of Pallium at their reception and said:

“It is a small but practical way that we can share and promote the development of much-needed Palliative Care services in India. I have felt a strong pull towards a connection with India for many years, and with Pallium, this has come to reality.

Kevin and I are delighted the money can be used to help patients directly, and indirectly through teaching and advocacy. We look forward to hearing of progress.”

On the 21st of April, Pallium India received the proceeds – a cheque for more than 1-lakh Rupees (~$2500), along with a personal donation from Judith and Kevin of more than Rs. 40,000.

What a wonderful gesture! Thank you all donors, and may your union be blessed, Judith and Kevin!

Pallium India received the following from a friend, who wishes to remain anonymous – Thank You, Dear Friend!

In England, when someone dies, it is the custom to give floral wreaths for display at the funeral.

Over the years people began to realise that florists were making a lot of money from people competing to show how much they loved the deceased person.

Nowadays, more and more people make donations to charity in memory of their loved ones, as they feel the money is more usefully used.

My mother died last week aged 96 years and in her memory I enclose a cheque, which I am sure Pallium India will find useful.

Another recent example of this was by the family of an actress, via Twitter: “Elizabeth Taylor’s family is asking in lieu of flowers, that you contribute to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation“

I had seen one of your programmes on palliative care and was deeply inspired by it.

From that day, I started collecting the daily coins which comes after the day to day expenses in my piggy bank.

Now it has become Rs500. I would like to donate it to palliative care.

If only some 1000 people took inspiration from your simple pragmatism, think how much suffering we could remove from this world!

And guess what?! Asin turned the prize money of Rs 100,000 over to Pallium India during a glittering function on Saturday 27th March at Asianet Cable Vision headquarters in Trivandrum.

A Vijayakumaran, Treasurer & Trustee of Pallium India receiving the contribution of Rs 100,000 from Asin, Youth Icon 2010.

This is only one of several laurels won by Asin.  She won the Filmfare award for 2003 Best Telugu actress, later the 2005 Filmfare South Award for her role in the original Tamil version of Ghajini and most recently, the 2009 Filmfare IDEA Best Female Debut Award for the Hindi remake of Ghajini.

Asin, we are privileged to have you as a friend of Palliative Care. Thank you.

And thank you ACV, for making this happen! We particularly thank Mr Vivekanandan Nair and Mr Sumesh Lal of ACV – long-term friends of Pallium India.

Asin’s nomination video (in Malayalam):

Update – SantaBanta.com: Asin bags the title of Youth Icon