Rotary clubs of RIDs 3191 and 3192 are supporting heart surgeries on disadvantaged children and adults suffering from various heart ailments, through the Rotary Needy Heart Foundation and the Needy Heart Foundation, both based in Bengaluru and set up by past president of RC Bangalore Indira Nagar O P Khanna. These surgeries are done at three designated hospitals in Bengaluru — Jayadeva Hospital, which is a government hospital, Manipal Hospital and the Narayana Hrudayalaya. Children suffering from congenital heart diseases from various countries are also supported by the RNHF and the NHF.
The latest beneficiary of this mega Rotary project in Bengaluru was two-year-old Aviannalyn Jade from Manila, Philippines. She was referred to PDG Rajendra Rai, the managing trustee of RNHF by PDG Kalpana Khound. Aviannalyn’s heart surgery was sponsored by Bimal Desai, a member of RC Bangalore Midtown. He and his wife Veena have sponsored the treatment of 20 children from Ethiopia, Ghana and the Philippines at a cost of Rs.30 lakh. At a recent fundraiser organised by the RNHF, they’ve promised to support 20 more children from Africa, while an anonymous foreign donor has pledged to contribute Rs.25 lakh for paediatric heart surgeries through his Rotary club.
Here is a note from Aviannalyn’s mother Avengelyn Amoroso:
Thank you very much for the kindness you bestowed on my daughter Aviannalyn. When I found out that we would be going to India and she will be operated on there, I was wondering if I could handle it all by myself, but we felt safe and comfortable under the remarkable hospitality and care by the Rotarians there.
Aviannalyn was born on May 23, 2023. When she was only two days old, she suddenly developed a fever. Her blood sample was taken and the doctor told me that she had sepsis. I did not know what to do as I was only 18 when I gave birth to Aviannalyn. The doctor told me that she needed to be treated for seven days but I rejected the advice and left the hospital. In the first year after her birth, Aviannalyn was very healthy. She seldom fell sick, except for some cough and cold. If she got fever, it only lasted for a couple of days.
But soon, the day I had been dreading arrived. Many people noticed how she was gradually losing weight. When she was 14 months, my sister also noticed that her lips and nails were pale blue. Immediately we consulted a paediatric cardiologist who confirmed that she had CHD. Maybe if I had treated her sepsis from the beginning, we would have known sooner that she had a heart condition, but the Lord had a plan for her.
Aviannalyn and I were at the Philippine Heart Center, in a queue for a 2D echo test. I met a mother with her son who had autism. As we were talking, a doctor came up to talk with her. She told me he was Dr Nischal Pandey, who was helping them to go to India where her son would undergo an open heart surgery. Dr Pandey is the president of the Rotary E-club Connect, RID 3012, and he has sponsored heart surgery for many children at the Philippine Heart Center.
While I waited for our turn, she introduced me to Dr Pandey. When I told him about my daughter’s heart condition he told me not to worry. “I will take care of your daughter and do my best so that she can have a surgery in India,” he said, and gave a hair band and a hair pin to Aviannalyn.
When Aviannalyn was 14 months, my sister noticed that her lips and nails were pale blue. Immediately we consulted a paediatric cardiologist who confirmed that she had CHD.
I didn’t expect that day would change Aviannalyn’s life. I thought it was just a normal check-up day. But it did. It seems like we were really destined to meet Dr Pandey and I thank God that he made a plan for Aviannalyn. Now she is slowly recovering and getting stronger to enjoy the new life you all have given her.
I am grateful to PDG Rajendra Rai of Rotary Needy Heart Foundation who coordinated with the Jayadeva Hospital for the heart surgery and the post-surgery stay in Bengaluru, cardiac surgeon Dr Sunil and his team, Rtn Bimal Desai of Rotary Bangalore Midtown who funded the surgery, Dr Pandey who funded our stay, and Rajiv Srivastava, a member of a Rotary club in the Philippines, who lent his apartment in Bengaluru for a brief stay after the surgery.
Many thanks also to PDG Kalpana Khound from Assam who introduced Dr Pandey to PDG Rai to take up this surgery in Bengaluru, Rajesh Shah, president of Rotary Bangalore Midtown, past president Atul Kaushik, Rotary Bangalore West president Yogesh Pachisia, Rakesh Nayyar of Mission Chai and Dr Srikanth of RC Bangalore Indiranagar.
I also thank the Indian Ambassador to Philippines Harsh Jain and Ambassador of Philippines to India Josel F Ignacio; our Indian community in Manila — Kamal Abhichandani, Vijay Gurung, Vishal Hathi Ramani and Soni — who funded our air tickets to Bengaluru and James Kumar, president of the Filipino Indian Commerce and Welfare Society based in Manila.
Thank you all. Maraming salamat po!