When Aparna’s* parents learned that their little girl needed heart surgery, their world turned upside down. Their emotional trauma was compounded by financial stress: the procedure would cost ₹3 lakhs—an impossible sum for the daily-wage workers. That’s when the Lions of District 322B2 stepped in.
“We don’t see financial barriers, we see lives that need saving,” says District Chairperson – Surgery Natverlal Patel, who coordinates the club’s cardiac care initiative in partnership with R. N. Tagore Hospital. Under this program, Lions Club contributes ₹35,000 per surgery, while the remaining costs are covered through hospital subsidies, CSR funding and donations.
Launched three years ago, the initiative has facilitated over 200 life-saving surgeries, including 25 in the current Lions year alone. Patients have come not just from neighbouring states but even from across borders, creating a network of hope that transcends borders.
At the same school, ten-year-old Virat Rajak faced an even greater challenge. His father supports their family of six through mobile phone repairs. Virat has been living with vision in only one eye – a condition that neither he, nor his family knew about – until a crucial screening program arrived at their school.
With inputs from: Lion B. D. Surana, PMJF
GLT Coordinator & Editor in Chief (District 322B2)
*Name changed to protect privacy