Support the critical Medical care of abandoned infants

Impact

**Samira was abandoned as a newborn in the cradle outside the gates of Palna.**She was severely underweight and with **multiple medical complications including Craniosynostosis, a condition that changed the growth pattern of the skull.** This is a life threatening condition**The doctors were in a dilemma about how to save the child.** The afflictions were both diverse and critical. It was a challenge to balance the distinctive treatments in such a young baby. Their first focus was to stabilize her.Samira stabilized after a lot of effort by the doctors, but wasn't making milestones. After intensive therapeutic interventions, she showed response after a few months.**The doctors and therapists worked with her for two years for her to reach her milestones.** When she reached two years of age her fine motor abilities finally got close to her peers.**It was a miracle to watch her do basic things like stack rings on a peg, turn pages and pick rice grains with a tip to tip grasp!**The thrill on her little face as she conquered these challenges was the greatest gratification for her caregivers. With speech stimulation Samira also began to start speaking.**Samira's life changed when a family adopted her after knowing all details of her journey.**You can be the reason for a miracle like Samira's journey.**You can help in saving the lives of critically ill abandoned children. You can give them the chance of live and hope of a family. You can give with confidence because every program listed is [GIVEASSURED](https://www.giveindia.org/giveassured).**

About The Program

Palna, which means "cradle" as well as "nurture" is a home for abandoned, homeless and destitute children. It is Delhi Council for Child Welfare's most well-known program.Established in 1978, and located in Qudsia Bagh, Old Delhi, it is a haven of peace, security and stability for the children who come here.Donation to this program will cover the cost of the critical medical care and medicines for an infant abandoned at Palna.A palna (Cradle) is placed just outside the gates to allow a child to be placed in it by anyone, without the need of identifying themselves. Most children come into the home this way. Children are also admitted into Palna through the police, hospitals, and clinics. Occasionally, families may come to the home to relinquish their child. As soon as a child is placed in the cradle, a siren is immediately activated, and a nurse comes to take the child in.As soon as a child comes to Palna he or she is taken to an in-house medical crisis unit for a thorough medical check-up. Medical treatment is given to the child if required. Infants often arrive in a precarious state of health - low birth weight, hypothermic, babies with trauma and congenital defects or mentally challenged. Survival is the immediate challenge for a newborn. A team of dedicated round-the-clock doctors, nurses and caregivers take care of the requirements of the children. A medical crisis unit with all the necessary equipment is available to handle emergencies among infants and newborns. Mortality in Palna today is negligible.Palna has a team of qualified therapists, counsellors, caregivers and teachers who oversee the growth and development of each child. With these dedicated efforts children in Palna no longer have delayed milestones. Today, on an average, Palna looks after 60 - 75 children from newborns to 8 year olds. Efforts are initiated to trace the family of the child. If it is established that the child is abandoned, Palna works to place the child in adoption. Over the last three decades, over 2,800 children have been adopted by loving families who were selected after rigorous screening and evaluation procedures.The Palna center playground equipped with swings, slides and cycles for the older children, and pre-school classes are held for them. The children's birthdays and popular festivals are celebrated. The children also go on picnics.Palna has the atmosphere of a home. Along with medical care, proper nutrition, and education, the children are loved and there is much fun and laughter. Palna children are happy children!When you donate to this program, you help in saving lives of critically ill abandoned children and give them the life they deserve.

About The NGO

Delhi Council for Child Welfare started its work to provide care to the displaced, lost or abandoned children in the riots surrounding the Partition of India. It is an NGO that now provides services to the underprivileged children of Delhi and the neighboring regions to promote their health, development, economic and social wellbeing. The most well-known programme of DCCW is Palna, home for the abandoned, homeless and destitute children. At Palna, infants arrive in a precarious state of health and the best possible medical care is given to them. It is a home to those children whose parents relinquish them or surrendered to them by the Police. DCCW works towards creating awareness on matters of basic health and hygiene, nutrition, pre-natal and post-natal maternal and childcare to the women in rural areas and urban slums. They also conduct programmes aimed at the education of children from underprivileged families. The Orthopaedic Centre set by DCCW provides a complete range of rehabilitation services to physically disabled children, especially those affected by polio. More than 9,000 surgeries have been performed up to date and 25000 children have been fitted with polio aids. Their mission is to give every child the childhood they deserve.