Happy Feet Home Foundation

The Context 

There are innumerable children and young adults with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions like Cancer, HIV and Thalassemia among marginalised communities. It’s a grim reality to accept and most times their caregivers can barely afford the medical costs, let alone the ‘luxury’ of proper mental and vocational care for the children. 

Even if they have a limited time or a restricted life ahead of them, the children have the right to happiness and empowerment. So, we are among the few daycare centres dedicated to holistic care for them.

Access to palliative care to persons from low-income homes worldwide is 1% of the total population receiving palliative care. This highlights the acute need for integrated palliative care services that Happy Feet Home seeks to provide.  

Happy Feet Home

Getting children and young adults with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses the treatment that they need is just the beginning. Founded in August 2014, the Happy Feet Home offers free-of-cost emotional, medical, psycho-social, educational/ vocational and nutritional support. To make this possible, we work closely with Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital, popularly known as Sion Hospital to provide daycare services that enable the mental, nutritional and spiritual well-being of children under palliative care.     

Since its inception, the Foundation has worked with over 1200 children, young adults and their families from low-income communities in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai regions.             

Vision 

To create a world where every child who needs palliative care gets the nurture, nourishment and support to lead a happy and empowered life. 

Mission

·       To grow the infrastructure and support for children and young adults with life-threatening diseases from lower socioeconomic backgrounds through emotional, psychosocial, nutritional and vocational support. 

·       To change the perception about supporting children with life-limiting illnesses as more than just a ‘lost cause’. 

What is Palliative care?

According to WHO, “Palliative care is a crucial part of integrated, people-centred health services. Relieving serious health-related suffering, be it physical, psychological, social, or spiritual, is a global ethical responsibility. Thus, whether the cause of suffering is cardiovascular disease, cancer, major organ failure, drug-resistant tuberculosis, severe burns, end-stage chronic illness, acute trauma, extreme birth prematurity or extreme frailty of old age, palliative care may be needed and has to be available at all levels of care.                   

Happy Feet Home Approach to Palliative Care:

1.     Hospital Care Programme

For children who for various reasons cannot access the centre facilities and have to be at the hospital, Happy Feet Home team designs, develops and executes various care initiatives at the hospital. This includes Art Based Therapy (ABT), puppetry and theatre games, and other engagement activities. The Foundation also creates education and vocational connections for young adults.

2.    Centre Care Programme

The Centre care programme is Happy Feet Home’s flagship programme. This caters to the holistic growth and development of children and young adults living with HIV, Thalassemia and Cancer. This includes:

·       Intensive Care 

o    Medical and Nutritional support 

o    Counselling and therapy support (one-to-one and group)

o    End-of-life and respite care

o    School education and vocational programme

·       Need-based care and support

o    Education and vocational support 

o    Other need-based support and services

3.    Community Outreach 

Happy Feet Home ensures family-centred care for all its children. This includes:

·       Fortnightly community and home visits to the families of children 

·       Need-based psycho-social support through counselling to families. 

·       Family gatherings 

Impact of the programmes in the FY 2022-23

1.Centre Care Programme 

·       100% of children and young adults who attend the centre receive nutritional and medical support 

·       87.93% of children are either in educational / vocational courses

·       12.07% of children are learning basic literacy

·       15 children are financially independent and provide for their families

2. Hospital Care Programme

·       100% of the 1357 children feel safe in the curated space created by Happy Feet Home at the hospital

3.Community Outreach 

·       Home visits done for 18 children

·       Tele-counselling  : 935 calls were made to the families

We provide 80G certification (tax exemption) and 10BE certificate.