FACTS: To most of us, ‘Thalassemia’ is just another term that we have read somewhere or heard about in passing. However, in stark reality, thousands of patients battle Thalassemia on a regular basis all through their lives. Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that leads to excessive destruction of red blood cells, which results in anemia. Children with Thalassemia require lifelong blood transfusions, as often as every three weeks, and a daily dose of medicines to try and lead a life as normal as possible.
For over 3 decades now, Bangalore Medical Services Trust (BMST), established by Rotary Club of Bangalore and TTK Group of Companies, has been providing blood banking services to patients and hospitals all over Karnataka. They are located in Bangalore near the old airport.
BMST has also been supporting Thalassemia patients not only with blood but also by giving blood transfusion as a day-care service. The only treatment option for those diagnosed with Thalassemia is a regular blood transfusion, at least a transfusion once every 3-4 weeks in most cases. All the medical services provided by BMST are world-class and are made available free of cost to as many patients who come to their premises, seeking help.
WHAT IF JUST INR 20000 CAN FUND 8 PATIENTS FOR A MONTH?
Each transfusion costs about INR 2500 including crowdfunding charges. I am raising INR 20,000 to help fund the transfusions for 8 patients for a month. The proceeds of the money collected will be handed over to BMST, who will then use the funds to cover the costs of blood transfusion for as many as 8 Thalassemia patients. If we raise a very very large amount of money as a group of students we could use some of the money also for treatment of some of these patients (medicine expenses tend to be very expensive and amount to about 80000 INR p.a)
HELP ME RAISE INR 20000 AND SUPPORT ME IN COVERING THE BLOOD TRANSFUSION COSTS FOR 8 THALASSEMIA PATIENTS!
ABOUT ME & THIS CAMPAIGN
Hi there, my name is ARYAMAN LAKSHMANAN and I am 16 years old studying in class 11 at the Mallya Aditi International School, Yelahanka, Bangalore. I like to dance and sing and apart from that to be helping others is the key to happiness. There are so many kids out there in the world suffering from lifelong deadly diseases like Thalassemia. Most of these kids are less fortunate than us and their families cannot afford the remedy. It would feel so good to help out a few of these children to get blood transfusions and help them live a longer life. With your help, I would love to empower kids with Thalassemia. Together we can help make a difference in their life and help them by funding their blood transfusions.
Once I understood what the problem was, I decided that I wanted to help them and do this campaign. I just want to prove that every rupee helps and if we work together we can achieve anything. The fact that just a contribution of INR 2500 can make a difference in the life of someone made me realize that I must do something about it. Further, I believe that healthcare is a basic necessity which should be available to everyone irrespective of where they come from or their financial condition.
ABOUT BMST
Bangalore Medical Services Trust (BMST) is a not for profit Public Charitable Trust established by Rotary Club of Bangalore and TTK Group of Companies in 1984 to provide the blood banking services. The day-care transfusion facility that caters to Thalassemia patients has been in operation since 1991 and the control and prevention program was started in the year 2010.
Headquarter: New Thippasandra Main Road, HAL 3rd Stage, New Thippasandra, Bangalore
The objectives of the Thalassemia control program are to:
- Improve the management of patients undergoing blood transfusions
- Enable screening and genetic counseling for first and second-degree relatives of Thalassemia patients in Karnataka.
The following are taken care of at BMST to ensure the patients receive the best treatment & service:
- No replacement
- Free blood
- Free screening services which include testing for complete blood count, Haemoglobin, antibody screening etc
- Use of saline washed red cells which reduces reaction after transfusion
INFOGRAPHIC
LOCATION-MAP
ABOUT ROTARY BANGALORE
Rotary Bangalore is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who come together to make positive, lasting changes in communities at home and abroad. For over 110 years, Rotary Bangalore along with its members have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, they are committed to always working to better our world.
ABOUT TTK
The TTK Group is an Indian business conglomerate with a presence across several segments of the industry including consumer durables, pharmaceuticals and supplements, bio-medical devices, maps and atlases, consular visa services, virtual assistant services and health care services. The TTK Group was started in 1928 by T. T. Krishnamachari and is largely owned by the family.
TAX BENEFITS
By funding this campaign, you are eligible for tax breaks as BMST is a registered NGO & you can avail benefits under section 80G of the IT act. Foreign funding is also accepted.
FAQs
Will we get to know the details of the people who benefitted?
Yes, you will get basic information about how many people were funded and when, while respecting their PRIVACY. After the money has been collected it will be transferred by Fueladream to BMST. It will take from 30 to 90 days after that to get details of who the beneficiary was. BMST can share the personal details of the beneficiaries only if they give written consent Otherwise at least details like numbers, the age of the patient and so on can be shared. Once I get this information from the team at BMST I will update the information on the campaign. You will then get an alert & can read details about the beneficiaries.
What are the crowdfunding charges?
Fueladream charges 3% for the payment for the payment gateway and 9% as crowdfunding charges. With GST the total comes to 14.16%. Nett off all these fees - you still get to save the life of a child. There is also an initial fee of 3000 INR which is being waived for us.
When do I get the receipts?
It takes up to 2 weeks after the campaign is closed for the monies to be transferred. The receipts will start getting processed about 4 to 6 weeks AFTER the campaign is closed and will be sent to you directly.
How does crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding in India is a relatively new concept & is growing very quickly.
It’s a concept that allows a large number of funders (like you) to fund an Idea or a cause or event by giving small amounts of money online. Fueladream.com is a crowdfunding platform in India that allows for such a pooling of funds.
You can fund innovations & ideas on FuelADream and be the first to get these products or make them come true. You can also do a good turn by funding charities and causes through crowdfunding. When you fund a charity it’s more like a donation & you get small innovative rewards like a shout-out on an FB page or a thank you email from the beneficiaries.
