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Hi, my name is Mugdha Rahatekar a cancer survivor and software professional. At age 39, I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer which I overcame with two major surgeries for tumor removal followed by chemotherapy.
Along with eternal gratitude for the support of my family, friends, doctors, nurses and well wishers, one of my biggest learnings was that every kind gesture, every comforting call, and every thoughtful action just made it that much easier to sail through it all. I also realized how blessed I was to have the resources to fight the battle and this got me thinking about those who may not be so privileged as me.
Earlier this year I donated my hair to Wigs For Kids and did a fundraiser for OCRA (Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance) in USA. I also pledged to do a second fundraiser in the month of September to help kids in India.
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness and Childhood Cancer Awareness month and I am doing this fundraiser to to support the Home Away From Home Initiative of CanKids KidsCan - The National Society For Change For Childhood Cancer In india. The Home Away From Homes (HAH) provide a warm and welcoming environment for outstation children with cancer and their families by giving them shelter, nutrition, educational classes, counseling, transport and any needed support as they come from smaller villages and towns to undergo treatment in larger cities.
CanKids was founded by Poonam Bagai, a cancer survivor herself who works tirelessly to help overcome the challenges of childhood cancer in India.All funds raised will be used to support their Bangalore HAH, - Salil Nivas which is in urgent need of funds. Located in Varthur Hobli, Bangalore, Salil Nivas caters to underprivileged children & their families undergoing treatment at Narayana Health, St. John's & Rainbow Children's Hospitals. While the premises have been donated by a well wisher, they need money to keep operations running, including food, electricity, sanitation, housekeeping, transport, salaries of staff, tutors and counsellors. In the past year, Salil Nivas has been privileged to serve as a home away from home for 75 beneficiaries and the count is already at 51 this year and rising.
I aim to raise a sum of 1 lakhs INR/ 1200 USD with help from you all, to provide a safe haven for children facing cancer and their families. Let us join hands to make this fundraiser a success and do our bit.
---About CanKids---
Founded in 2004 by Poonam Bagai, herself a Cancer Survivor, CanKids KidsCan - The National Society For Change For Childhood Cancer in India works across the entire spectrum of Childhood Cancer Care.
Through their signature program YANA - You Are Not Alone - CanKids holds the hands of the child with cancer and family. We partner with hospitals, medical professionals, and state governments to enable access and best standards of treatment, care, and support through 135 CanKids Hospital Support Units across 57 cities and 22 states of India.
