Help bring comfort, care, and connection to children facing life-threatening illnesses

For many children living with illnesses like cancer, HIV, or thalassemia, life is full of hospital visits, medical jargon, and isolation. But what if there was a place where they could just be children? Founded in 2014, at Happy Feet Home children battling serious illnesses are welcomed with open arms. It’s a space filled with art, music, laughter, counselling, nutritious meals, and deep emotional healing. For children who face discrimination, abandonment, and trauma, this becomes more than a safe space and a second home. Since inception, the foundation has worked with over 3000 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’. 

With your support, 3500 children will receive nutrition, medical, therapeutic, educational-vocational and unconditional care this year.

Donate easily via UPI, credit/debit cards, or net banking.

All donations are tax-exempt under 80G of the Income Tax Act, India.

Dancing Towards Independence: S’ Story of Empowerment

S has been part of the Happy Feet Home family since 2017. Living with HIV since childhood hasn't been easy, but S' sincerity, dedication, and dreams have always shone through. When he first joined our daycare centre, he was quiet and introverted, hesitant to speak or engage with others. Through consistent workshops and support at Happy Feet Home, S gradually opened up—and today, he’s a confident speaker and performer. His love for dance led him to pursue professional training, which we were proud to support. Over the years, he completed multiple courses and grabbed every opportunity to grow. Recently, one of his biggest dreams came true—he was selected to attend the Senior Summer School at the Royal Academy of Dance in London, where he trained with global artists and performed on an international stage. In his words: “Every moment here felt like a dream. I feel like I’m one step closer to reaching my goals. Thank you for believing in me.” S' transformation is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when children are given the right care, encouragement, and opportunity.

Your donation can help bring these moments of joy to more children like Saurabh.

Why Happy Feet Home matters

In India, where the highest number of children and adolescents living with HIV in South Asia is found (UNICEF, 2021), and where over 10,000 children are diagnosed with cancer annually (Indian Pediatric Oncology Society), access to holistic pediatric palliative care is almost nonexistent. According to the Global Atlas of Palliative Care (2020), only 1% of children from low-income households worldwide receive the psycho-social and emotional support they need alongside medical treatment. Hospitals treat the illness, but not the trauma, stigma, or isolation that come with it. Happy Feet Home bridges this critical gap by providing nutrition, therapy, education, and emotional care to children who would otherwise be left behind—ensuring not just survival, but dignity, joy, and resilience.

At our Daycare Centre, all our children come from low-income families. They live with minimal resources, and their caregivers are mostly daily wage workers. This directly impacts their health. Their nutritional needs, medical, psycho-social, emotional, and educational/vocational needs are not met, and this results in various complications in the future. Children living with HIV have compromised immunity. Children with Thalassemia not only have low immunity, but their growth is also stunted. The below services are provided in the Day-Care centre programme:

• Food & Nutrition: Children receive four hygienic, nutritious meals daily, customized to their medical needs.
• Education & Vocational Support: We support school admissions, provide uniforms and books, and offer extracurricular and vocational training for future careers.
• Psycho-Social & Child Welfare: Children have access to therapy, motivational activities, and basic necessities to help them cope with stigma and build resilience.
• Medical Support: We ensure access to medicines, hospital treatments, tests, and specialized procedures in coordination with healthcare providers.
• Community Outreach: For children unable to visit, we provide home visits, tele-consultations, and caregiver support to meet their holistic needs.

At our Hospital Outreach program, our team visits 3 Government Hospitals every week and conducts the following activities for children in these hospitals :

• Conduct art-based therapy sessions with trained professionals
• Conduct board games, storytelling and dancing sessions, drawing sessions
• Ensure team members are available at the hospital to provide information and support to caregivers 
• Conduct group and individual activities 

These sessions enable them to express themselves beyond words, relieve distress, and create happy memories

K is a 7-year-old child undergoing treatment for thalassemia at Sion Hospital.

For a long time, hospital visits were a source of deep fear and distress for him. Since doctors often had difficulty finding veins elsewhere, they had to prick his head for procedures. The repeated pain and anxiety left him terrified—he would cry, resist coming to the hospital, and dread every visit.

When the HFH team began conducting activities at the hospital—art-based therapy, creative sessions, and games—K kept his distance. His fear was so strong that he worried the team members might also “prick his head.” He would watch cautiously from the side, unsure if he could trust them.

Gradually, as he observed other children laughing, playing, and enjoying themselves, his curiosity overcame his hesitation. One day, he softly asked, “Can I also join?” That small step marked a big change in his journey.

Since then, K’s hospital visits have transformed. Instead of being filled with dread, he now looks forward to the art sessions and games. His favourite way of expressing himself is through colouring—he pours his emotions onto paper with bright strokes and patterns. On days when he participates, his mother shares that he feels calmer, sleeps more peacefully, and even smiles on the way to the hospital.

For K, these sessions have created not just moments of joy but also a safe space where fear gives way to freedom, creativity, and healing. We have countless more such stories to share

Our goal: ₹50 lakhs to support 3500 children and be a part of this healing journey

Your donation will not just fund a service, it will bring relief to a mother, a smile to a sibling, and joy to a child fighting a serious illness.

Every rupee helps bring dignity, connection, and care where it’s needed most. 

Donate now to Happy Feet Home Foundation.