Five-year-old Sai Subham — like most his age — was a very playful child. But playtime was also a harrowing time for his parents, because every time he would play, he would end up gasping for breath. This was obviously not normal, so they took the child to a clinic in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
He was seen by Dr Mohanty of Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, who said that Sai suffered from Acyanotic Congenital Heart Disease and an open-heart surgery was his only route to a normal life.
Dr Mohanty suggested that the parents bring the child to Mumbai. Well aware of the financial constraint that Sai’s parents had (Sai’s father is a daily-wage labourer), Dr Mohanty picked up the cost of travel and food for this family and Sai was admitted to the hospital.
Dr Mohanty then approached Genesis Foundation (GF) to seek help for the child’s treatment.
With the support of the Foundation and the hospital, Sai’s operation was a success and his parents were thrilled at his recovery.
Fighting Chance at Life
Established with the motto of ‘Give Life a Chance’, Genesis Foundation has devoted itself to facilitating medical care for underprivileged children (below the age of 18 and belonging to families with an income of less than Rs 10,000 per month) who suffer from critical illnesses like cancer, cardiac disorder, organ failure, thalassemia and extreme deformities.
We believe that every child has the right to live a healthy life and that is why we started Genesis Foundation.Prema Sagar, Founding Trustee, Genesis Foundation
To raise funds for the treatment of these children, GF has created unique and participative fundraising events involving music, art and food.
In keeping with the Foundation’s purpose to build a participatory culture of giving, GF has brought together bands, musicians, doctors and care-givers, and corporate honchos to raise funds for these children.
From music festivals like Kasauli Rhythm & Blues Festival and JadhavGADH Music Festival to involving heads of leading corporates in events like CEOs Got Talent, CEOs Sing for GF Kids and CEOs Cook for GF Kids, each of these events engage artists, musicians and donors for the cause.
Music for a Cause
Genesis Foundation’s most recent fundraiser to receive a roaring response from participants was the first edition of Goa Rhythm & Blues Festival on October 30-31, 2015 where an eclectic line-up of artists like Shilpa Rao, Ministry of Blues, The Doors of Perception, Soulmates and more performed for GF’s cause. Every entry ticket contributed to saving lives of 15 critically-ill underprivileged children.
CEOs Give Back
Another unique addition to GF’s unique fundraisers this year is 40 CEOs Sing for GF Kids to be held on November 21 in Delhi, where in keeping with the Genesis Foundation’s core principles to build a participatory culture of giving, musically-inclined CEOs will come together to raise funds for these children.
This promises to be an evening of enthralling musical performances by leaders of boardrooms, and the event will see the performers dig into their repertoire of songs ranging from popular western to Bollywood. Every donor pass booked would help in giving little kids a chance at life.
Genesis Foundation has facilitated life-saving and life-changing medical intervention for more than 750 critically-ill, under-privileged children in areas of cancer, cardiac disorder, post organ transplant medication, thalassemia and extreme deformities.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)