Bridging the gap between countries

BANGALORE: Make-A-Wish Foundation of India, a non-profit organisation is fulfilling the most cherished wishes of children between the age of 3 to 18 years, living with life threatening illnesses, irrespective of their socio-economic status, caste, race or religion. In 2011 Bangalore division completed fulfilling 1000 wishes and is working towards bringing smiles on the faces of many more children with life threatening illnesses.During such initiative, Hamza, a 15 year old Pakistani boy’s purpose of visiting India for medical reasons turned out to be a joyful one as the organisation worked towards fulfilling his cherished wish. The boy suffering from acute congenital heart disease came to India with his father and uncle. He was admitted to the Narayana Hruduyalaya Hospital in December, 2011. Having acquired a medical visa from across the border with much difficulty, for Hamza his first visit to India was restricted to visiting the hospital and the guest house until the volunteers planned on making his wish of buying a suit come true.With interaction with the volunteers, Hamza let out his wish. He was taken to a shop where he himself chose what type of suit he wished to buy accompanied by his parent and assisted by the volunteers. Having a line of four sisters and one brother, Hamza excitedly exclaimed that he would be wearing this new suit for a family function that would happen soon after he went back home. Volunteers found the experience exciting as the Make-A-Wish organisation worked for the first time with a Pakistani wish child. A volunteer of the organisation said, “It was not only fulfilling the wish of the child but for me, it was like a small contribution towards bringing the two nations closer at a more humanitarian level’. And the efforts that we took towards fulfilling Hamza’s wish turned out to be highly rewarding when we saw the family happy.”