It was an early Diwali for a group of kidney failure patients and their families in Ahmedabad as a charitable trust organised an event for them to celebrate the festive season.
Kidney donors and other caretakers also joined them for the programme organised by Sparsh Foundation, which provides support to kidney patients.
This was the first such get-together for the patients since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was held in an open area, to enable social distancing.
At the event, Sparsh Foundation formally donated money to Dr Jivraj Mehta Hospital for the dialysis of 277 kidney patients. The average cost of one dialysis is Rs 1,000, depending on the hospital.
“This is to support patients needing dialysis so that during Diwali the amount that otherwise would have gone in dialysis can be used for other purposes like buying clothes or something for the home,” said Dr Darshna Thakker, a trustee of the Sparsh Foundation and a gynaecologist.
In the last six years, the foundation has sponsored 8,300 dialysis, which roughly amounts to Rs 73 lakh. Singer Namrata Shodhan is also a member of the trust, which has been sponsoring kidney transplants and people with other ailments, too.
Much before Sparsh Foundation was registered in 2015, Dr Thakker and Shodhan had been donating money to those who suffered kidney failures. Their inspiration was Nikita Ghiya, a patient who danced between dialysis sessions to raise funds for others like her. She passed away a few years ago.
Patients and their relatives shared their experiences and gratitude for the support.
Pratyush Trivedi, 39, has been undergoing dialysis for 12 years and he requires to undergo the procedure twice or thrice a week. He had no history of illness. Twelve years ago, a medical check-up revealed that his blood pressure had shot up alarmingly. His creatinine level was not normal. “I was heartbroken. During my dialysis sessions, I came in contact with Dr Thakker. Sparsh Foundation not only gives money but emotional support to kidney failure patients,” he said.
His wife Gargi said, “I am speechless. Pratyush also contracted COVID. He thought it was all over, but thanks to the help by Dr Thakker at midnight, we got guidance from experts.”
Pratyush said that emotional support matters a lot and now he has taken dialysis sessions in his stride. A couple of hours after dialysis, he returns to work.
