Most heroes are those
who’ve overcome adversity, fought against all odds and emerged winners. But my
story is of a man who has had it all and yet done everything for those who
don’t have as much.  While many people
help others to feel good about themselves or out of a sense of obligation, Nihal’s
driving force is very simply his large heart.

Anuradha and Shashank Mohanty, were worried when their two
month old baby Kiran ran a mild fever for three months. Unable to find a
suitable cure, the mother took the child to Bhubhaneshwar in sheer
desperation.  The Mohanty’s world turned
upside down when the doctor told them that Kiran had Cancer. Shashank broke
down and thought his life was over but Anuradha, a kindergarten teacher, made
of sterner stuff decided to take the doctor’s advice and take the baby to
Mumbai  for treatment at the Tata
Memorial Hospital.  She sold off her jewelry
and a part of their land, packed up their belongings and took the train to
Mumbai. Shashank’s brother welcomed them into his tiny home in Navi Mumbai and
the couple made the trek into town everyday by local train. It was hard , the
train ride was expensive, crowded and taxing on a sick child. Eventually the
child did pick up an infection and was admitted to the hospital. For the first
time Anuradha  felt a flicker of fear.
What fate awaited her child after she was discharged? Would they be able to sustain
the daily train ride for six months? Could they even stay with their relatives
for that long? Or, God forbid, would they have to join the ranks of the many patients
huddled up on the pavement outside the hospital?  

Sensing her anxiety, the social worker at the hospital
gently  suggested, “Why don’t you try
going to St. Jude? It’s a new place close by which will accommodate you and
your husband for free.”

“For free? That can’t be,” said the young mother
incredulously, “there must be a catch somewhere!”

“Of course!” reiterated the father, “Who does anything for
free? Probably those people will steal our kidneys or sell our children.”

The social worker shrugged her shoulders, “Well, then
there’s nothing much I can help you with. The only other place that offers free
accommodation is all full up. You will be discharged tomorrow. Where will you
go? On the pavement outside?”

Immediately, Anuradha made up her mind. The street was no
place for a family let alone a sick child

“Come,” she said grabbing her husband by the hand, “let’s go
and see this place.”

Kiran Mohanty was just one of the hundreds of children who
have benefitted from their stay at St. Jude India ChildCare Centres. This
wonderful place which offers free and safe accommodation for out of town cancer
afflicted children coming to Mumbai for treatment, is truly a haven of hope for
families that are already dealing with crisis.

It first threw open its doors in April 2006 to eight
families. Today it has expanded to 7 centres in Mumbai, 2 in Kolkata, 2 in
Delhi , 1 in Jaipur and several more in the offing in other Indian cities. These
centres which accommodate up to sixteen families at a time are unlike a hospital
ward and more like a home with cheery yellow walls, individual family units,
clean toilets and bathrooms, a kitchen with individual cooking areas and a community
space to play in. The parents are offered therapeutic and recreational programs
that teach them skills and  the children  are kept engaged with meaningful activities
and educational programs that stimulate their interest and encourage them to go
back to school.

Run jointly by Nihal and Shyama Kaviratne with a team
of  volunteers and colleagues, St.Jude
India ChildCare Centres is the brainchild of Nihal Kaviratne, a large portly
gentleman in his mid sixties, with a deep baritone voice , a shiny bald pate, a
smile that lights up his face and a childlike faith in the “Hand Above”. He
looks like a typical well heeled, recently retired    businessman who should be enjoying the
company of his grandchildren. But Nihal is no ordinary man. A child of
privilege, Nihal was brought up with sensitivity to those who had less. His
wife Shyama recalls the time when he bailed out one of their college friends by
paying his tuition fees and another incident where he organized a charity do to
raise money for the Armed Force’s Fund. Throughout his 40 year career, Nihal
was conscious of corporate responsibility for sustainable development and when
he got the chance as Chairman & CEO of Unilever Indonesia, set up the
Unilever Indonesia Foundation to discover and empower the potential of the
community.

When he returned to India, he knew that he wanted to do
something; but what?  Nihal’s “aha”
moment came when he saw some cancer patients convalescing on the street outside
the hospital! That’s when he realized that there was a dearth of safe and clean
places to recuperate in. So he put down his savings and set up the first
centre. Since then, the growth of St.Jude’s  has been purely organic – by word of mouth.
Premises which were hard to come by, miraculously became available and funds
which were even harder to get, kept pouring in from different parts of the world;
the problems and obstacles along the way  deftly handled and settled, as Nihal says, by “
the Hand Above”.

With Nihal’s and my worlds so diverse, never in my wildest
dreams did I imagine that our paths would cross one day. But strange are the
ways of the universe .With my children grown up, I was feeling an emptiness in
my life and was happy when a friend put me in touch with Nihal and St. Jude’s a
charity that operates like a corporate . My task was to meet with and counsel the
families at the hospital and tell them about our Centre.  Later on I put together their manuals and
newsletters.

A man of many parts, Nihal has a lot of interests that take
up his time and as a Member of the Board of various multinationals he is
constantly on the move. Yet every night before he calls it a day, he checks out
the daily reports from the centres on his iPad, and sleeps content with the
knowledge that there is yet another poor Indian family grappling with a sick child
also enjoying a night of peaceful rest.