Aadhar kyon????

Ever since Aadhar started, I have met so many people with my bhiksha patra (begging bowl) in hand. I have got various responses. Lots of people have wholeheartedly supported us. Not only with funds, but also with advice, volunteering and with tremendous faith that I am honest in all my dealings with their hard earned money.

Why  I started  this cancer fund is what I am asked lots of times. So I sat down to think about what really deep down motivated me to do this work. To tell you the truth, when I was diagnosed with lymphoma it devastated the people around me so much that I did not have the time to sit and mope around for myself. Just looking at them was bad enough. But later as the treatment started, I went through a lot of feelings of guilt and sadness because I felt I was the reason for all of this stress, uncertainty and anxiety. At the same time there was a deep thankfulness in my heart that whatever happened had happened to me and not to my children or my husband or my brothers. As the treatment started, the visits to the hospital were like a mini nightmare. We had to stand at least an hour or so in the line to see the oncologist. This was after we already had an appointment and the oncologist was kind enough to see us asap  as we were both doctors. It was a learning experience especially for Avinash. In his clinic patients had to wait to see him. And here he was waiting to see what the doctor had to say. But watching him being rudely spoken to or ignored by staff in the government hospital was one of my worst experiences. I used to feel terrible that because of me he had to go through all this nonsense. Then the bills started. I have to say that the cancer did not cause a single symptom. No pain, no fever, nothing. Only a painless lump. I used to take my chemo cycles in our own nursing home with caring and concerned people hovering around me. Even then I had a lot of stress and anxiety before each cycle. After the first 6 cycles I took interferon injections daily for one year. Each injection was Rs.1500/- at that time. Cost of almost Rs 40,000/- a month. I used to feel terrible. I was working only as much as could manage. But each month this money was being spent on my treatment. And this was only the cost of the medicine. No one said anything to me. My every wish was fulfilled immediately. But I used to feel a deep sense of guilt at the trouble I as causing.

I used to think all the time about all the people who I saw in the OPD. They were all mainly middle class and poor patients.  They were pushed around and had to wait for hours for their turn. If the time finished, they would just have to come back for the next OPD 2-3 days later. Then they would be handed the prescription and told to buy medicines from outside as they were not available in the hospital. Where would a person buy medicines worth thousands, if his or her salary was only 4000/- to 5000/-? This was not the only claim on his /her salary. What about food, house rent, school fees of the children? We were well off. Still 40,000/- a month was a job. How would a young parent or a villager who had come from outside Delhi or a salaried or retired person manage?? In such a situation how guilty and stressed would a patient feel, is what I always used to think!   I met a woman with stage 4 cancer in the hospital, who did not come earlier because she had no money for treatment. The wonder of it was that this lady who I thought was going to die in a few weeks, survived for 5 years when we raised money for her treatment. Then there was a 20 year old boy whose father had retired. He could see that they would not be able to afford the treatment. But his father was running from pillar to post trying to collect money. The poor child walked up to the roof and jumped off. Imagine his sense of despair and guilt. I used to feel terrible when I saw all this. Imagine if I felt guilty when everything was easy and available, what would a less fortunate person feel?

There were a lot of emotional support groups working there. They were doing a very good, kind and sympathetic job. And emotional support is extremely important. But…. What is the point of telling a person dying of thirst or starvation that all will become well with time. Would it not be better to give that person a little water or food instead?

I had joined an emotional support group for some time. We used to visit hospitals and see cancer patients and talk to them. It was excellent in its own place. But for me it was a little frustrating. I decided to start whatever I could do with whatever amount I got or could put in. Many of our well to do patients wanted to sponsor a poor person’s treatment. So that’s how I started. One patient at a time.  My close friends were my greatest supporters. Six of us - three doctors, two lawyers and a chartered accountant started this venture. Since then slowly and steadily we have been collecting money in small and large amounts and helping patients go through their treatment by providing support in the form of medicines and counseling. Aadhar started with Rs.3000/- (Rs.1000/- from each couple as first donation).The target group we chose was children. Hence the Child Cancers Fund.

But over the years we have raised more than Rs 1 Crore 25 lakhs for the aid of patients with cancer. All this money has come from individual donations. We have had no major government or corporate donors.

And that is why….!

Inspiration.

Inspiration.

This is one inspirational story I really like. Its from Teaching your children about God By Henry Holt.

There is a marvellous story of a man who once stood before God, his heart breaking from the pain and injustice in the world.
"Dear God", he cried out, "look at all the suffering, the anguish and the distress in the world. Why don't you send help?"
God responded," I did send help. I sent you".
When we tell our children that story, we must tell them that each one of them was sent to help repair the broken world -- and that it is not the task of an instant,or of a year but of a lifetime!!

All too often we stand by the side, shake our heads and move on. We all feel -- what can I do??And then we wait for someone else to do something.
Surely you can do something! Maybe just smile and say a few soothing words. It makes more difference than you can imagine.
Believe me. Its my experience. No one can take the pain or discomfort away. But kindness and compassion can certainly make it more tolerable. 

AADHAR ANNUAL REPORT YEAR: April 2014 - March 2015

About us

Aadhar is a registered charitable trust set up in 1998 in an effort to help the poor and underprivileged cancer patients get adequate medical care and treatment.

There are four main activities of the trust.

1.         Child Cancer Fund

2.         Fund for young women with cancer.

3.         Counselling Centre for cancer patients and care-givers.

Cancer is a disease that takes a huge financial and emotional toll on the patient and the family. Due to the substantial costs of the medication to treat the disease, poor patients are often unable to finish their treatment, even when treated in government hospitals as medicines may sometimes have to be purchased from other sources. At times this may mean that the family needs to sell their meagre possessions in order to continue the treatment which further worsens their financial conditions. If the patient cannot get the required funds to purchase the medicine, the patient eventually dies due to the lack of treatment. This loss is further compounded if the life lost is that of a child. Aadhar attempts to identify and assist such poor families, especially if the patient is a child. With increasing improvements in the management of childhood cancers, a complete and comprehensive treatment has a high chance of being successful, allowing the child to grow up to lead a healthy life.

Aadhar often receives requests for support from adult cancer patients as well. However, due to limited funds, this support cannot be provided. This has inspired the creation of a Fund for Young Women with Cancer, which aims to provide support to young women with cancer between the ages of 21-40. Young women are the spine of a typical Indian family, and the women in this age group have the huge responsibility of raising their children and maintaining the family. Being diagnosed with cancer has crushing repercussions, not only for the patient, but also for the family. Unfortunately, societal set up in rural India often neglects the treatment needs of young women, and they often drop out of treatment as the family refuses to pay for the costs of the complete treatment. This fund has been set up to help young women cancer patients to complete their treatment and lead productive lives.

Summary of our activities from April 2014 to March 2015.

The Child Cancer Fund:

1.      Number of new patients registered:   39

2.      Total of 245 chemotherapy cycles administered for old and new patients.

3.      Amount spent on treatment cycles was Rs. 17, 54,338/-.

This year for the first time we are supporting a child who is being treated outside Delhi, at Yashoda Hospital Hyderabad, in her treatment by radiotherapy. From the inception up to March 2015 we have raised more than 1 Crore and 26 lakhs in our effort to help children with cancer.                                                       

Children on support came from the following hospitals:

1. Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain Hospital
2. Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital
3. Sir Ganga Ram Hospital       
4. Shroff Charitable Eye Hospital
5. Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre
6. Dharamshila Cancer Hospital
7. All India Institute of Medical Sciences
8. Yashoda Hospital Hyderabad

.

Blood and blood products are a repeated requirement especially in the treatment of leukaemias. Parents find it very difficult to get a donor each time. To help them in time of crisis we are putting together a list of volunteers who would be ready to donate blood for a patient. Volunteers of Youth against Cancer especially are keen to help these children.

Fund for young women with cancer:

The Fund for Young Women with Cancer was established in October, 2012. Till date, twelve women have been helped through this fund. The amount spent on the treatment of young women with cancer by radiation and chemotherapy is approximately Rs 1, 70,000/-.

In the coming year, we hope to increase the number of patients that we can help through this fund. Currently, only selected few practitioners have been informed about the fund's availability. An efficient method of management for patients to request assistance needs to be set up, to better handle patient enrolment and fund dispersal. Once the availability is made known, doctors send patients of all ages for help and it becomes difficult to refuse. The other factor for limited participation was increase in the burden on the child cancer fund due to increase in the number of patients undergoing the treatment. The kind support and donations from our well wishers helped a lot.

Counselling Centre for cancer patients and care- givers:

The counselling centre has been started in October, 2012. The aims of the centre are to:

•     Decrease patient’s sense of alienation by introducing them to others in similar situations, especially survivors who survived the disease, and are doing well.

•     Reduce anxiety about the treatments,

•     Assist in clarifying misconceptions and misinformation and

•     Lessen the patients’ feelings of isolation, helplessness and neglect by others.

As a Counselling centre, we aim to provide patients and their care givers with a more comprehensive support system, enabling the patients and their families to be better prepared to deal with the cancer and its fall out in every way possible. A very holistic approach is being planned where we are involving homeopathic and ayurveda specialists also in our approach.

. In addition to the above points, the Centre also

•     Informs and educates patients and relatives about the disease, its treatment and other relevant information such as common side effects etc. 

•     Answers queries patients may have about the disease and about positive health practices such as diet, exercise, etc.

•     Teaches stress management through relaxation techniques, meditation and yoga.

•     Provides advice on nutrition from a dietician about what to eat, what to avoid, how to prepare healthy and wholesome recipes.

•     Assists with general information such as how to get wigs and other prosthesis, details of genuine dealers who supply, on sale or hire, wheel chairs, crutches, walkers and other things required for these patients etc.

The Counselling centre is being run with the help of highly trained professionals such as    Dr. Aradhana Sharma, a highly qualified psychologist, who also works in various schools as an advisor. Dr Sanjiv Kumar has agreed to be our advisor on ayurveda.

As part of our pro-active outreach program, our plan is to organize awareness drives in various schools. This will be a part of our campaign to spread awareness about cancer, especially regarding substance abuse (such as smoking) and environmental factors causing increased incidence of cancer. Another purpose is to create sensitivity about problems of patients suffering from cancer

Distribution of free literature:

The following booklets and pamphlets were printed for free distribution to increase awareness about cancer and treatment options available:–

• Cancers found in Indian Children.
• Booklet on Cancers of the respiratory and gastro-intestinal tract.
• Cancer –Ek Ghar Ki Kahani which is a drama script on the three commonest gynaecological cancers.
• Booklet on cancers caused by HIV virus by Dr Manoj Sharma. This specially addresses young potential parents who may be responsible for the birth of HIV positive children who are at higher risk for certain cancers. Besides this, children with HIV positive parents may be orphaned at an early age and face many problems.
• Cancer Chikitsa- Isse Saharsh Kaise Poora Karein.                                                                       
• Hindustani Auraton Mein Cancer-Cancer Ki KAhani, Jo Auraton Ne Na Jaani.                          

Cancer Chikitsa, Gahan Chikitsa

Contributions:   Contributions were received by way of:-

1.      Cash;

2.      Cheques;

3. Drafts;
4. Direct remittance to the account.

Note: Aadhar has received FCRA approval for accepting donations from abroad and all donations made to Aadhar are eligible for benefits u/s 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

We wish to acknowledge the support we received from the art exhibition called Hues of Expression organized by Mrs Alka Bhrushandi, Mr Vinay Joshi and Mr Sanjay. They have donated 20% of their proceeds to Aadhar. We also received a sponsorship from Bharat Petroleum of Rs 50,000/-.

We accept with thanks monthly donation of Rs 20,000/- from Disha Womens Association and a donation of Rs 1,80000/- from Km LA Meera Memorial Trust to be used for treatment of children with cancer in the coming year.

We at Aadhar, are committed to providing child and young women cancer patients with the means of completing their treatment and provide the emotional support the family needs to battle this disease. Thank you for all your help and support during the past year. Your continued support inspires us to improve our efforts each year and to expand the access to the fund to as many patients as possible.

"I am only one, but still I am one,

I cannot do everything, but still I can do something,

I will not refuse to do the something I can do."

- Edward Everett Hale

HELP US HELP THEM

Help for Reshi M Qaddafi.

Hi friends,

Reshi M Qaddafi is 8 yrs old and has come from Kashmir for treatment of leukaemia. His father is Younus Ahmed Reshi who is a government employee in the rural development dept. They are from Srinagar.Reshi was referred to delhi for treatment on being diagnosed as a case of Acute Lymhoblastic Leukaemia. He is admitted in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for treatment. The parents and son are here for his treatment.
They came on the 2nd of September and on the 4th the floods devastated the state and these people have lost their house which has been completely ruined by the flood. They are also unable to draw cash as their documents are lost and it will take some time for the banks also to figure out what is to be done.
They are quite troubled both financially and also due to the health of the child.
These people are looking for a place to stay which would cost less as they cannot now afford to pay the kind of rent they have to give.
Besides this during treatment of leukaemia repeated blood transfusions maybe required . They do not have any relatives here and are finding it difficult to find donors.
We at Aadhar request you to come forward to help this family.
All medicines required by the child are being provided by Aadhar.
We have suggested that they apply for the prime ministers relief fund. They will but that will take at least take 3-4 months to process. Also this money is paid directly to the hospital account and is utilised by the hospital in taking out its own costs.
Help could be rendered by:
1.volunteering to donate blood for this child. For this please message your name and phone number to me so that I can contact you when the need arises.
2. Suggest places where these people can get a room at an economical price.
3. They are in need of financial help to subsist . Mr Younus is finding it difficult to raise money for their rent and food bills.
4. Please suggest ways in which we can raise funds for this family. If anyone has any idea how this families condition can be brought to light in the media please help. Contact us and we will do the needful.
Reshi's photograph has been posted on Aadhar facebook group by Anindita. Please share as much as you can.
Lets try to help this family complete treatment of their son in spite of the unfortunate circumstances they are in.

AADHAR ANNUAL REPORT YEAR April 2013 - March 2014

About us

Aadhar is a registered charitable trust set up in 1998 which was started by a group of professionals in an effort to help the poor and underprivileged cancer patients get adequate medical care and treatment.

There are four main activities of the trust. These are:

1.         Child Cancer Fund

2.         Fund for young women with cancer.

3.         Counseling Centre for cancer patients and care-givers.

4.         Eye care services.

Cancer is a disease that takes a huge financial and emotional toll on the patient and the family. Due to the substantial costs of the medication to treat the disease, poor patients are often unable to finish their treatments even when treated in government hospitals as medicines may sometimes have to be purchased from other sources. At times this may mean that the family needs to sell their meager possessions in order to continue the treatment which further worsens their financial conditions. However, if the patient cannot get the required funds to purchase the medicine, the patient eventually dies due to the lack of treatment. This loss is further compounded if the life lost is that of a child. Aadhar attempts to identify and assist such poor families, especially if the patient is a child. With increasing improvements in the management of childhood cancers, a complete and comprehensive treatment has a high chance of being successful allowing the child to grow up to lead a productive life.

The trust has expanded its scope this year by starting a fund supporting young women suffering from cancer between the ages of 21 – 40 yrs. This is our second target group, children being the first. We at Aadhar, being well aware of societal set up in India knew that this is a group that is often neglected in favor of males. Therefore, it was important to support a young woman not only to help her but also her family, especially her children.

Summary of our activities from April 2013 to March 2014.

The Child Cancer Fund:

1.      Total number of new patients registered  47. 

       2. Total of 322 chemotherapy cycles administered for old and new patients.

 3.      Amount spent on treatment cycles was Rs. 17,09,809/-.

From the inception upto March 2014 we have raised more than 1Crore and 10 lacs in our effort to help children with cancer.                                                          

Children on support came from the following hospitals:

1. Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain Hospital
2. Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital
3. Sir Ganga Ram Hospital
4. Shroff Charitable Eye Hospital
5. Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre
6. Dharamshila Cancer Hospital
7. All India Institute of Medical Sciences

Blood and blood products are a repeated requirement especially in the treatment of leukemia’s. Parents find it very difficult to get a donor each time. To help them in time of crisis we are putting together a list of volunteers who would be ready to donate blood for a patient. Volunteers of Youth against Cancer especially are keen to help these children.

A.  Fund for young women with cancer:

This fund came into being in October, 2012. So far eight women have been helped through this fund. The amount spent on the treatment of young women with cancer by radiation and chemotherapy is approximately Rs 1,20,000.00. so far.

We have still not informed too many doctors about this fund. We have to work out an efficient method of management. Once the availability is made known then doctors send patients of all ages for help and it becomes difficult to refuse. The other factor was that in the last year the burden on the child cancer fund increased a lot and it was becoming difficult to manage. The kind support and donations from our well wishers helped a lot.

B.  Counseling Centre for cancer patients and care- givers:

The counseling centre has been started in October, 2012. The aims of the centre are to:

•     Decrease patient’s sense of alienation by introducing them to others in similar situations, especially survivors who have beat the disease,

•     Reduce anxiety about the treatments,

•     Assist in clarifying misconceptions and misinformation and

•     Lessen the patients’ feelings of isolation, helplessness and neglect by others.

 

As a Counseling centre, we aim to provide patients with a more comprehensive support system, enabling the patients and their families to be better prepared to deal with the cancer and its fall out in every way possible.

A very holistic approach is being planned where we are involving homeopathic and ayurveda specialists also in our approach.

Besides helping the patients, the Counseling Centre also aims at assisting and aiding the families of the cancer patients to cross this hurdle. Therefore, in addition to the above points the Centre also

•     Informs and educates patients and relatives about the disease, its treatment and other relevant information such as common side effects etc. 

•     Answers queries patients may have about the disease and about positive health practices such as diet, exercise, etc.

•     Teaches stress management through relaxation techniques, meditation and yoga.

•     Provides advice on nutrition from a dietician about what to eat, what to avoid, how to prepare healthy and wholesome recipes.

•     Assists with general information such as how to get wigs and other prosthesis, details of genuine dealers who supply, on sale or hire, wheel chairs, crutches, walkers and other things required for these patients etc.

The Counseling centre is being run with the help of highly trained professionals such as Dr. Aradhana Sharma who is a highly qualified psychologist having her own practice. She is also working in various schools as an advisor.

Dr Sanjiv Kumar has agreed to be our advisor on ayurveda.

As part of our pro-active outreach program, our plan is to organize awareness drives in various schools. This will be a part of our campaign to spread awareness about cancer especially regarding substance abuse and environmental factors causing increased incidence of cancer. Another purpose is to create sensitivity about problems of patients suffering from cancer.

C.  Distribution of free literature:

The following booklets and pamphlets were printed for free distribution to increase awareness about cancer and treatment options available :–

• Cancers found in Indian Children.
• Booklet on Cancers of the respiratory and gastro-intestinal tract.
• Cancer –Ek Ghar Ki Kahani which is a drama script on the three commonest gynaecological cancers.
• Booklet on cancers caused by HIV virus by Dr Manoj Sharma. This specially addresses young potential parents who may be responsible for the birth of HIV positive children who are at higher risk for certain cancers. Besides this, children with HIV positive parents may be orphaned at an early age and face many problems.
• Cancer Chikitsa- Isse Saharsh Kaise Poora Karein.                                                                       
• Hindustani Auraton Mein Cancer-Cancer Ki KAhani, Jo Auraton Ne Na Jaani.                          
• Cancer Chikitsa, Gahan Chikitsa

D.  Eye Care Services:

An eye camp was held in December 2013 at A 4/25 Paschim Vihar, New Delhi where about 225 patients attended the OPD held on that day. Patients were given appointments and one complete eye check up as needed was done.

25 patients underwent surgery for cataract with intra-ocular lens implant. The expense of the eye camp was about Rs 1,50,000/-.

In summary, this year Aadhar has been able to help cancer patients, children and women, with chemotherapeutic medication and radiotherapy amounting to a total of approximately Rs. 18,29,809/-( Rs Eighteen lakhs,twenty thousand eight hundred and nine only.). Further, Rs.1,50000/- have been spent on the eye camp held in the year 2013-2014. We have also successfully started Aadhar’s Counseling Center for cancer patients and their families. We hope to build on these achievements next year and provide further support to cancer patients, their families as well as extend our medical services to the community.

Contributions

Contributions were received by way of:-

1. Cash;
2. Cheques;
3. Drafts;
4. Direct remittance to the account.

Note: Aadhar has received FCRA approval for accepting donations from abroad and all donations made to Aadhar are eligible for benefits u/s 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

HELP US HELP THEM

This month Aadhar has reached a very important milestone. We have now raised and spent more than

 Rs 1 Crore ( till Nov. 30th 2013, Rs.1,03,92252/- to be precise) for the care and treatment of more than  460 child cancer patients. The process of course continues onward. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have helped in so many ways and helped us to reach this point. The really important thing is that all this funding has come totally from individual donations. We have had no government funding nor any  major help from any other big organization.
I have really learnt how a small amount of money can go a long way.When Aadhar started , it was with the donation of Rs 3000/- only. We were three couples and each couple put in Rs . 1000/-. But slowly and gradually as people came to know about the trust the funds started coming. When we go through a crisis in life suddenly so many new doors open. I really feel that having faced the so called "Emperor of all maladies " (Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee in his book Emperor of All Maladies refers to cancer as such) gave me an insight into so many things. I have written before that I never really suffered any symptoms because of the cancer. It was caught early and treatment was completed in time. I had excellent doctors and friends advising me at all times. My grateful thanks to Dr Vinod Raina who was the oncologist who treated me at AIIMS. My friends and family were my rocks during that crazy time. But having said that, I looked around and realized that there were so many people who did not have that kind of support and help.Standing in the OPD I learnt how lucky I was. I had a good education and good financial support which helped me.That is why I spoke to my friends about the wish to start a group to help people . Not just with kind words, but by helping them get the remedy for the disease. A very special and heartfelt thanks to Radhika and Pradeep Agarwala as also to Rajeev and Rashmi Virmani. I just mentioned my idea to Radhika and it was her push which made us get together and draw up the trust deed. Later on we were joined by Pradeep and Vaijayanti Valsangkar, who are now actively involved in our activities.
After that I have to admit that it has been God's grace. Whenever I used to be going to the hospital thinking I am going to have to refuse the next patient, a donation used to come literally out of the blue.
 The funds have come slowly and gradually. All  that we at Aadhar  have done ,is to do a good job being very honest with all the money and using the funds with a lot of strictness and discretion. All records are well maintained and accounts audited every year. No money is spent on rental expenses for the office since I work from my clinic. At this point we are not paying any salaries, as I am doing the office work myself. Activities are managed by volunteers  That is why we can  use all the donated money only on the activities of Aadhar.
I think if you are sincere about what you are doing , all the good energies in the universe do help and support the activity. Again I would like to thank all the people who have supported Aadhar over the last 15 years and pray that you continue to give it your love and support. 

AADHAR

Counselling Centre for Cancer Patients & Care-givers

Aadhar is a Registered Charitable Trust which was established in 1998 with a vision to help poor children with cancer. Our goal is to ease the burden faced by the family and caregivers, by providing chemotherapy and supportive medications free of cost and also by counselling.  This year in March 2012, we have added a fund for underprivileged young women suffering from cancer.  

Over the years, working in close association with these children and their families, we felt the   need to reach out to all cancer patients in terms of latest information regarding the medical care, peripheral facilities required for rehabilitation, emotional support to the patients and families and other issues. Keeping this in mind we at Aadhar are starting a counselling centre and support group for cancer patients and care-givers. This service will be available to all who require it.

Support groups are designed to help patients feel less tense, helpless and hopeless. The support group will make an effort to -

v  Decrease patient’s sense of alienation by talking to others in similar situations.

v  Reduce anxiety about the treatments.

v  Assist in clarifying misconceptions and misinformation.

   v  Lessen feelings of isolation, helplessness and neglect by others   

The GOALS of the counselling centre are:

v  Counselling- to help reduce depression, hostility, anxiety and feelings of helplessness.

v  Education – Informing patients and relatives about the disease, its treatment and other relevant information such as common side effects etc.  

v  Answering queries patients may have about the disease and about positive health practices such as diet, exercise, etc.

v  Stress Management- Through relaxation techniques, meditation and yoga.

v  Advise on nutrition- What to eat, what to avoid, healthy and wholesome recipes, in consultation with a dietician .

v  General information such as how to get wigs and other prosthesis, information on genuine dealers who supply, on sale or hire, wheel chairs, crutches, walkers and other things required for these patient.

                                                                  

                                                                    Aadhar Counselling Centre for Cancer Patients & Care-givers

 A-4/25, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi-110063
Every Tuesday between 3-5pm
(By appointment only)

For Appointments Contact:
Dr. Rajeshwary Kulkarni : 9212034435,
Dr Aradhana Sharma : 9891955530

Aadhar kyon? (Why we established Aadhar?)

Ever since Aadhar started, I have met so many people with my bhiksha patra (begging bowl) in hand. I have got various responses. Lots of people have wholeheartedly supported us. Not only with funds, but also with advice, volunteering and with tremendous faith that I am honest in all my dealings with their hard earned money. But there were also those who felt that they did not want to support cancer patients because they were not sure if the patient would survive.

Why I started this cancer fund is what I am asked lots of times. So I sat down to think about what really deep down motivated me to do this work. To tell you the truth, when I was diagnosed with lymphoma it devastated the people around me so much that I did not have the time to sit and mope around for myself. Just looking at them was bad enough. But later as the treatment started, I went through a lot of feelings of guilt and sadness because I felt I was the reason for all of this stress, uncertainty and anxiety. At the same time there was a deep thankfulness in my heart that whatever happened had happened to me and not to my children or my husband or my brothers. As the treatment started the visits to the hospital were like a mini nightmare. We had to stand at least an hour or so in the line to see the oncologist. This was after we already had an appointment and the oncologist was kind enough to see us asap  as we were both doctors. It was a learning experience especially for Avinash. In his clinic patients had to wait to see him. And here he was waiting to see what the doctor had to say. But watching him being rudely spoken to or ignored by staff in the government hospital was one of my worst experiences. I used to feel terrible that because of me he had to go through all this nonsense. Then the bills started. I have to say that the cancer did not cause a single symptom. No pain, no fever, nothing. Only a painless lump. I used to take my chemo cycles in our own nursing home with caring and concerned people hovering around me. Even then I had a lot of stress and anxiety before each cycle. After the first 6 cycles I took interferon injections daily for one year. Each injection was Rs.1500/- at that time. Cost of more than Rs 40,000/- a month. (We managed to get some discount) . I used to feel terrible. I was working only as much as I could manage. But each month this money was being spent on my treatment. And this was only the cost of the medicine. No one said anything to me. My every wish was fulfilled immediately. But I used to feel a deep sense of guilt at the trouble I as causing.

I used to think all the time about all the people who I saw in the OPD. They were all mainly middle class and poor patients.  They were pushed around and had to wait for hours for their turn. If the time finished, they would just have to come back for the next OPD 2-3 days later. Then they would be handed the prescription and told to buy medicines from outside as they were not available in the hospital. Where would a person buy medicines worth thousands, if his or her salary was only 4000/- to 5000/-? This was not the only claim on his /her salary. What about food, house rent, school fees of the children? We were well off. Still 40,000/- a month was a job. How would a young parent or a villager who had come from outside Delhi or a salaried or retired person manage?? In such a situation how guilty and stressed would a patient feel, is what I always used to think!  In the hospital I met a woman with stage 4 cancer in the hospital, who did not come earlier because she had no money for treatment. The wonder of it was that this lady who I thought was going to die in a few weeks, survived for 5 years when we raised money for her treatment. Then there was a 20 year old boy whose father had retired. He could see that they would not be able to afford the treatment. But his father was running from pillar to post trying to collect money. The poor child walked up to the roof and jumped off. Imagine his sense of despair and guilt. I used to feel terrible when I saw all this. Imagine if I felt guilty when everything was easy and available, what would a less fortunate person feel?

There were a lot of emotional support groups working there. They were doing a very good, kind and sympathetic job. And emotional support is extremely important. But…. What is the point of telling a person dying of thirst or starvation that all will become well with time. Would it not be better to give that person a little water or food instead?

I had joined an emotional support group for some time. We used to visit hospitals and see cancer patients and talk to them. It was excellent in its own place. But for me it was a little frustrating. I decided to start whatever I could do with whatever amount I got or could put in. Many of our well to do patients wanted to sponsor a poor person’s treatment. So that’s how I started. One patient at a time.  My close friends were my greatest supporters. Six of us - three doctors, two lawyers and a chartered accountant started this venture. Since then slowly and steadily we have been collecting money in small and large amounts and helping patients go through their treatment by providing support in the form of medicines and counseling. Aadhar started with Rs.3000/- (Rs.1000/- from each couple as first donation).The target group we chose was children. Hence the Child Cancers Fund.

But over the years we have raised more than Rs 1 Crore for the aid of patients with cancer. All this money has come from individual donations. We have had no major government or corporate donors.

And that is why….!

Success Stories.

Back to writing after a long time. I have been meaning to write about this for sometime but was not finding the time.  Someone asked me about the success stories of Aadhar. When I sat down to think about it I realized one thing. Not just in cancer, but in any life threatening condition,I think it is the journey which matters and not whether one eventually wins or loses. In sports it said that  " It is not whether you won or lost , but how you played the game." I think in these major challenges in life also it is true. Whats important is how you went through the storm.
All these children who come for support and their parents are like teachers for me. Illiterate, poor people coming from places you haven't even heard of and who have never stepped out of their villages find their way around a huge city like Delhi.For the sake of their child, they will find a way to reach Aadhar or some other organization which can give them help to get medicines they cannot afford otherwise.And they strive and struggle to carry on.Sometimes it is only the  mothers who are bearing the entire burden. Husband is a drunkard or has simply disappeared.She has to manage on her own. I have seen fathers who take to rickshaw  pulling to earn money for food. Once the chemo is over, they stay on the pavement outside the hospital till the next cycle.
 Blood is required so many times. Once the close relatives have donated, they have to make other arrangements. My uncle recently needed to get multiple blood transfusion for his medical condition. After all at home who could, had donated I was under huge pressure to figure out whom to ask. Its really difficult. But these parents do that. They ask, beg , request anything for their child. One man was talking to me and just burst into tears. He said -- "Ab tho dost bhi muha chupa ke nikal jaate hain. Sochte hain ab ye khoon mangega."
What would be a success story ? Just when a child becomes cancer free and grows up to become an adult.
I feel it is so unfair to negate the efforts of all these other souls. I am going to write about patients who were truly remarkable and who were an example for others whatever the eventual outcome was.

Inspiration.

This is one inspirational story I really like. Its from Teaching your children about God By Henry Holt.

There is a marvellous story of a man who once stood before God, his heart breaking from the pain and injustice in the world.
"Dear God", he cried out, "look at all the suffering, the anguish and the distress in the world. Why don't you send help?"
God responded," I did send help. I sent you".
When we tell our children that story, we must tell them that each one of them was sent to help repair the broken world -- and that it is not the task of an instant,or of a year but of a lifetime!!

All too often we stand by the side, shake our heads and move on. We all feel -- what can I do??And then we wait for someone else to do something.
Surely you can do something! Maybe just smile and say a few soothing words. It makes more difference than you can imagine.
Believe me. Its my experience. No one can take the pain or discomfort away. But kindness and compassion can certainly make it more tolerable.

Saroja.

I have been remembering Saroja (name changed) frequently since I started to think of patients who I really admired for their attitude and the dignity with which they handled themselves.
I don't really remember how I came in contact with Saroja. I think she came to know that Aadhar was helping some patients with their medicines and met me regarding that.
She was a single mother who had breast cancer. Unfortunately she was one of those patients whose cancer was not responding to any treatment. She already had metastatic disease ( the cancer had spread to other parts of the body). The liver and bones were already involved. She had been a jewellery designer but had to stop working because she couldn't cope with the hospital visits and the work. Saroja had one son who was about 11 or 12 yrs at the time. She was trying to get this child adopted by a good family. And that was the first thing she asked me about. Her parents lived in Delhi but she had left home following disagreement with her father. Her mother was very supportive and was always with her during her chemotherapy.Her husband was nowhere in sight.I had never met anyone like her , who was managing alone even during this difficult time.We had lots of chats and I kept persuading her that the best place for her son would be with his grandparents. She even called up her father and made peace with him.
Saroja asked me if  Aadhar could help her get the supportive care she needed. Since Aadhar is a Child cancer fund, we decided to raise money separately for her. We raised about Rs. 40,000/- and I paid it into her account at the pharmacy of the hospital. After that we did not meet as I was out for about 2 months.
When I returned I visited the hospital again and went to the pharmacy to settle any pending bills. The manager immediately came out and met me. He asked if I had heard about Saroja. He knew about the amount we had deposited there for her medicines. He then told me she had passed away about a fortnight ago. Then he said she had come to the pharmacy a few days before that and had left instructions with him that whatever amount was left out of the Rs. 40.000/- was to be handed over to Aadhar.
I couldn't believe that this brave lady who was going through this major tragedy and the tension about her son had actually remembered to go to the pharmacy and pledge the remaining amount to Aadhar.
I can't explain what emotions went through my mind at that time. I felt totally humbled by the spirit and dignity of this lady. Hats off to you Saroja. Rest in peace.

Radhika Jaiswal.

Hi writing after a long time. This is about Radhika a little girl 8 yrs of age. She has Philadelphia chromosome positive ALL. She has been battling leukaemia for the last 4yrs. She has been on support of Aadhar since April 2008. Her treatment has been going on in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
Unfortunately Radhika is not getting any support from her father.Whatever is being done is by her mother and maternal grandmother. Her treatment regimen has now been changed to Dasatinib.  The cost of this medication for 1 month is Rs. 1.75 Lacs. However if she buys one months medication the company will give for free the next two months dose. But Rs. 1.75 Lacs is a big amount for any average middle class person to raise every three months. In this case the difficulty is compounded by the fact that the treatment has been going on  for the last 4 years. There is a lot of expenditure but no income.  She has been in support of Aadhar since the last 3 years.
Though we can't spend such a large amount of money for one child from our fund, I am posting this in my blog to request for donations for her treatment. Give whatever you can and whatever you want to give. Don't think - what difference can I make? Even if individually we can't do much, surely together we can raise some amount to help out this little girl and her mother. I admire this lady for her grit and patience. Handling an unhappy marriage is bad enough , but on top of that all this! Wherever she feels there is a chance of getting help for her child she goes and requests help. Radhika is one of the sweetest little girls I have seen. Inspite of the prolonged treatment, there is no sign of anger, disappointment or negativity in this child. Please do help in anyway you can and join us in our prayers for this little girl.
All donations can to be sent to AADHAR . A / 361 Meera Bagh, New Delhi- 110087.
Cheques to be made in the name of AADHAR.
In case of any queries please feel free to contact me on this email. aadhar1998@gmail.com.

This post is to acknowledge the advice and know how I received from Dr Prashant Kashyap who actually started the blog for me. I had no idea what a blog was all about.He showed me how to work it and all the photos and the slide show that is already uploaded is all thanks to him.Thanks Prashant.
Along the way so many people have touched my life and Aadhar and helped in bringing us to the place where we stand today.
And any acknowledgement would be totally incomplete without a special thanks to Radhika and Pradeep Agarwal who believed in me and what I wanted to do simply because I voiced my wish to them. If Radhika had not pushed me along probably this would have remained just that....a dream!!
Thank you God for standing by me in the form of my family and friends.. The Aadhar family is growing slowly and steadily as people are joining in. This is going to be a movement through which we stand by each other in times of distress. Not only by those we know and care for but also by those whom we don' t know and have not even met. To be able to lighten someones burden gives unparalleled happiness. Believe me ! The feeling cannot be described. You can sleep soundly feeling that someone somewhere is feeling a little better because of your action.
Thanks also to all the youngsters who have helped me so much and are going to be the future of this whole endeavor.
Long live Aadhar.

Finally FCRA approved.

The good news is that Aadhar has now got FCRA approval. This means we can start accepting donations from abroad directly. So many people staying abroad used to ask if they can donate and I had to tell them it could only be done in Indian rs . Now hopefully we will get more support.

As this financial year ends we found that this year Aadhar has raised and spent Rs 14,92,503/- on child cancer patients. The number is increasing every month and we need as much help as we can get. Aadhar has also got trademark registration for its name and logo now. So we are indeed moving ahead.

Youth against cancer organized a wonderful party for children on treatment. There was a magician and wall painting done by the kids and the Wall Project group. The children enjoyed themselves and the parents also had some relaxation from their tensions.

The photographs will be uploaded soon.

I am back after a really long time. But life has been very busy this year. Aadhar Child cancer fund is of course active throughout the year.

We are reviving the dormant Youth against Cancer group of Aadhar. The group comprises young professionals and students who want to actively do some social activity. Though most of the older group has since moved on, Anindita , Ankit, Saurabh , Akshay and Neha are hopefully still available and ready to join us again. The other youngsters in the group will be Chandrasekhar, Joanne, Aparajita and Soumyashree. They have lots of ideas and are raring to go.

We have decided to host a party for children undergoing treatment with the help of Aadhar. It is slated to be on 13th Feb. and will be at A 4/25 PAschim Vihar. We are planning to have a puppet

show and wall painting activity with these kids. There will also be a lot of fun and games. All food will be home-made and brought by the volunteers.

We are planning different activities every three months and hope all will go as planned.

Here is All the Best to YAC.

Hi there,
Time for the eye camp again. This time it is on 28th Feb Sunday.We will be doing the registration from 9 AM to 12 Noon. As usual patients will be given dates for the check up and for surgery if required. All surgeries will be done in Sehgal Nursing Home.
With the help of the a lot of agencies, Shabnam underwent Bone marrow transplant at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
There are always good people around. Though only the wicked seem to be in the limelight all the time. Dr SP Yadav is one such person. He gives his best and tries every possible means to give his child cancer patients the best chance they can have. For that he personally approaches and requests help for his patients from different agencies. He is the pediatric oncologist treating Shabnam. Aadhar has done its bit by arranging for the chemotherapy medicines, antibiotics and anti fungals for her. We all wish her a speedy recovery and a healthy and happy life.

For outstation patients.

Dear Dr Khetan,
This is in response to your query regarding outstation patients. We would be glad to help any poor patient who approaches us. For outstation patients either they would have to come here to collect the medicines and the doctor treating them would have to take responsibility of making sure that there is no misuse or pilferage of the medicines. Once a rapport is built we can make some arrangement of reaching the medicines to the patient.
You can contact me on my email - rajeshwaryk@rediffmail.com

To know details about Aadhar please see the first post dated Nov 5 2008. Aadhar is a registered trust and all donations to Aadhar are eligible for exemption of income tax under section 80 G of IT Act.

To all doctors who want to send patients, please send them to

Dr Rajeshwary Kulkarni
A- 4/25 Paschim Vihar.
New Delhi-110063.
OR
Mr. Arun
Merigold Chemist & Druggists
Shiv Market A-4 ,Paschim Vihar
New Delhi-110063.
We need the prescription on the hospital letterhead per chemo cycle of the patient. Exact dose needed is to be written. For every patient who comes we get the medicines from the retailers and provide it to them within 2-3 hrs. Besides this the patient has to bring 3 passport size photos and the prescription needs to be signed by the senior doctor with his / her stamp. A small summary of the patient helps.
Please bear with us. We need to do all this to prevent stealing , misuse and pilferage of these expensive medicines. The signature and stamp is important as we have had cases of people other than doctors,sending us patients with demands of something like 10 vials of leunase. Each leunasevial depending on potency costs between 5-10,000/- Rs. All this was written on plain paper with a signature nobody could read. So plaese help us help them.

Counselling centre for cancer patients.

We at Aadhar have decided to move on a little. We plan to start a counselling centre for cancer patients and their care - givers here. I have found that the family is often confused and ill informed about the diagnosis and the treatment that is going to be done . We plan to start by talking to the patients and their relatives and educate them regarding the disease and treatment. There is also a lot of general information regarding the side effects and measures to be taken to reduce those and make the treatment more comfortable.
We hope to be able to help at least a little.