THE BACKGROUND:

In India, approximately 2,00,000 children are born with CHD each year, and 20% of them have serious defects requiring intervention in the very first year of life. Unfortunately, due to their families' limited financial resources, many of these children are unable to access the necessary surgeries to treat their conditions.

THE PROBLEM:

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are ailments that affect children at birth and at a young age. In Tamil Nadu, nearly 10,000 children per year are born with cardiac diseases. 

Take the case of Baby Sharmila (image below) from the Dindigul district of TN. She was born "BLUE" due to a complex heart disease and wasn't as active as a normal child her age should be. Her father was the only earning member and earned INR 5000 a month as a farmer. There was no way the family could afford a critical life-saving surgery for Sharmila. 

THE SOLUTION:

The only solution for Baby Sharmila and children like her is to get free heart surgery. In this case, the Chennai-based NGO Hearts for Hearts (H4H) stepped in. They are a public charitable trust. 

H4H partners with other organisations like the Public Health Centre (PHC) and Udavum Karangal to support these heart surgeries. PHC is located in West Mambalam, Chennai and is a modern multi-disciplinary hospital complex with state-of-the-art equipment. Udavum Karangal is located at Arumbakkam, Chennai. Outstation patients stay here before and after their surgery.

Hearts for Hearts took in Sharmila and got her surgery done. She is now an active and healthy child.

The children are operated at the Public Health Centre (Hospital) and are accommodated at Udavum Karangal. The initiative by H4H enables 2 free heart surgeries a week. An average cardiac surgery costs INR 1.5L of which INR 1.1L is covered by CMCHIS (Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Schemes), and other subsidies and donors. This campaign aims to fund the shortfall of INR 40000 per surgery. 

JUST INR 40000, WILL HELP SAVE THE LIFE OF A CHILD.

FUND GENEROUSLY:

IF YOU FUND

• INR 10,000, you support 25% of the total cost.

•  INR 20,000, you support 50% of the total cost.  

•  INR 40,000, you help save one life.
  

All funding has 80G tax benefits.

HOW IT WORKS:

ABOUT ME AND THIS CAMPAIGN:

My name is Athreyan. I am 15-years-old and in Grade 11 at CPS Global, Anna Nagar, Chennai.

The plight of children from low-income families who cannot afford life-saving heart surgeries is to be seen to be believed. The families usually give up hope and all they can do is pray for a miracle. But together, we can make a difference.

I firmly believe that healthcare is a fundamental human right, and it should not be limited to those who can afford it. By contributing to this campaign, you have the power to save lives and provide these children with a new life and a bright future. One of the reasons I am particularly passionate about this cause is that these heart surgeries are being performed at a low cost.

I sincerely request you support me in this endeavour so that we can help save the lives of these precious children. Together, we can bring hope, joy, and a chance for a healthier tomorrow to these children and their families.

IMPACT:

THE COST BREAK-UP:

ABOUT THE PARTNERS:

HEARTS FOR HEARTS

Hearts for Hearts (H4H) is a public charitable trust started by Dr Sreemathi Seshadrinathan. It focuses on free cardiac surgery for the deprived. It was founded on 28th July 2002. Hearts for Hearts believes that everyone is entitled to quality healthcare. SOCAN (Solution for Cardiac Afflicted Needy) is a project under Hearts for Hearts (H4H). Under this project, the following is done:

 
1. Detection in camps.
2. Transportation and accommodation
3. Preparation for surgery
4. Performing surgery  
5. Periodical follow-up

This is done in partnership with PHC and Udhavum Karangal.

ABOUT PHC

Public Health Centre is a community medical centre run by the Public Health and Welfare Society, a voluntary social body. It was started by Shri. M C Subrahmanyam in a hut in 1953 when the area was like a village lacking basic civic amenities. Now it is a 150-bed hospital, with a full-fledged Cardiac Department with a Modern State of art Operation Theatre and Cathlab Facility located at West Mambalam, Chennai.

Charges for the services available are nominal and affordable. It's a household name in and around this area, and most of the families avail of the medical services available here at some stage or the other. The success story of the Public Health Centre is largely a legacy of collective efforts by dedicated doctors, philanthropic donors, selfless volunteers and devoted staff.

ABOUT UDHAVUM KARANGAL

Udavum Karangal believes that everyone deserves to be loved. There have been many, from newborn babies to dying destitute, who have found a home here. The centre provides individualized services – treatment, care, rehabilitation and education. They also reach out to the community's needs. They are located at Arumbakkam, Chennai.

MISSION SAMRIDDHI

Mission Samriddhi is a social impact enterprise dedicated to holistic human development in India through the design and development of projects that are sustainable and capable of scaling to positively impact the larger population. They support existing initiatives, harness energy and passion, and provide the support required to address constraints while building sustainable models in association with project partners. Commit to a strong and prosperous India.

LOCATION MAP:

TAX BENEFITS:

Funding for this campaign is eligible for tax breaks as Hearts for Hearts is a registered trust and you can avail of benefits under section 80G of the IT Act. Foreign funding is NOT accepted.

FEEDBACK THAT YOU GET :

To ensure that there is complete transparency, we shall get a report with the details of how the funds were utilised. This will then be posted in the UPDATES section of the campaign. As soon as we post an update, the platform will send an EMAIL alert to all the funders - i.e. to you. That's transparent, right?