Fulfilling wishes, lighting up lives

CHENNAI: This January, Rishabh Kankaria’s wish finally came true. The 17-year-old, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma a few years ago, got to meet his idol, A R Rahman. All thanks to Make-A-Wish, the children’s charity that aims to bring a smile to the faces of ailing children. On Saturday, the Chennai division of the organisation will conduct their first anniversary celebrations.
“Before I got my wish, I was depressed. I had to often bunk school because of my illness and used to miss my friends a lot,” says Kankaria, who plays the keyboard. “I love Rahman’s music. So my biggest desire was to meet him. I met him on his birthday, January 16, and played the keyboard for him. He said I play very well and presented me with a S3 mobile,” says Kankaria, who wants to join Rahman’s music school.
Make-A-Wish India was established in 1996 in Mumbai, by Uday and Geetha Joshi, whose son Gandhar had leukemia. “While undergoing treatment in the US, his wish to visit Disney Land was fulfilled and, though they later lost him, they saw how the experience had changed him. He accepted treatment more willingly and looked at life with hope and joy,” says Dr Bakhtawar.
Today, Make-A-Wish India has 11 divisions across the country and fulfills 3,500 wishes a year.
Make-A-Wish, Chennai division, turned one on February 15 but is conducting their first anniversary celebrations with a fundraiser event on Saturday at the Ambassador Pallava hotel, from 7pm. The evening will see some performances by some of the children, wish granting to a few children, a performance by Evam theatre group and dinner. Some of the doctors, volunteers, and sponsors will also be honoured on the occasion.
Wishes, granted to children between three and 18 years of age, can be of four types -- it can be a wish to have something (a Barbie doll, cycle, or laptop), to be someone (for instance, an army officer or doctor for a day), a wish to see something (popular destinations in India include the Taj Mahal) or a wish to meet someone (children have met celebrities like Suriya, Rajinikanth and Vijay).
“Doctors treating the children suggest their names and our volunteers will visit the child in the hospital, and figure out their most cherished wish,” says Dr Bakhtawar. “People can come forward and adopt a wish of a child.”