Hi friends. I've been in touch with Val Sir and his daughter Charmaine since we got his contact details last Christmas from our admins Shashank & Ifti. I've been lucky to be able to help his fellow members in the support group that he is part of here in Dubai. Charmaine was reluctant to inform me about Val Sir's health issue, so I am happy I got to know about it from our active admins. I have contacted Charmaine and found out the situation with Val Sir. Please read the short note . This is a rare opportunity to give back to our teacher in any way we can. No help is ever small, and every contribution will help.

This is to inform you about Sir Val Mendonca, our Maths teacher who taught many of us at St. Anne’s. Val Sir is 85 years old and lives with his daughter Charmaine in Dubai. Our classmate Paramjit Kalsi (Class of 1972), who lives in Dubai is in touch with him and his family. He was doing fine, taking all the precautions for Covid for the last 18 months.

 In mid-August, a few weeks after the family took their second shot of the vaccine, Val Sir contracted Covid along with his daughter and granddaughter. He went through a difficult period but is feeling better now. His daughter and granddaughter have recovered but Val Sir needs to be monitored 24/7 at home by a qualified nurse costing AED 1,000 or Rs. 20,000 per day for a few weeks.

Charmaine lost her job recently and the family depends entirely on her husband Darryl’s income. Val Sir’s health insurance policy was recently taken after completing his residence visa process and the benefits of the policy will kick in only after the initial period. As such, the family has to bear all the expenses for his care.

This is a request to all our schoolmates for pitching in with whatever contribution that you can make.