You can ensure they live a full life despite their life-limiting illness

Many children and young adults in India living in low socioeconomic communities are infected with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses like Cancer, HIV and Thalassemia.

The diagnosis of these illnesses should not be a death sentence. They can have full and productive lives. And, even if children and young adults have a limited time or a restricted life ahead of them, they have the right to a life of dignity and happiness.

Most times their caregivers can barely afford the medical costs, let alone the ‘luxury’ of holistic emotional, educational and vocational care the children need. 

HAPPY FEET HOME FOUNDATION

Founded in August 2014, Happy Feet Home Foundation offers free-of-cost emotional, psychosocial, educational, vocational and nutritional support to children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses. We currently work with Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital (Sion Hospital) in Mumbai and provide various programmes that enable children's mental, nutritional, medical, aspirational and psychosocial well-being under palliative care.   

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

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 the World Health Organisation, “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 Foundation is meeting the need for holistic paediatric palliative care through its programmes:

HOSPITAL OUTREACH PROGRAMME

We create a welcoming and engaging environment for children who visit Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital (Sion Hospital) in Mumbai for their treatments or procedures for HIV, Thalassemia and Cancer. We engage with children visiting the hospital for their treatments with art-based pedagogy therapy sessions enabling them to forget their stress, and illnesses and play with children like them.

DAYCARE CENTRE PROGRAMME

With full and part-time employees, counsellors and volunteers, we provide children with life-threatening illnesses between the ages of 4–25 years and their caregivers a safe space and support services. Care services include:

1) Medical care

• Healthcare is crucial because of their illness and low immunity

• Includes all tests and treatments needed by children

• Support with medicine as per need requirements

2) Nutritional care

• 4 carefully planned nutritious meals

• Special meal plans with dietary restrictions based on the condition

• Focus on the quality and nutritional value of the food

• Diet plan designed by a Nutritionist

3) Educational and vocational training

• Various education and vocation opportunities are scouted

• Children have access to courses as per their aspirations

• Professional courses are offered to help children get financially independent

4) Psychosocial care

• One-to-one counselling provided

• Group Therapies

• Empowerment sessions are planned

• Theme-based activities for children

• Enrollment in extracurricular/co-curricular activities for children

COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMME

We visit homes and tele-consult with children and their caregivers to understand their environment and challenges; their family’s cultural and financial background and illnesses; and family history. Through consulting sessions over calls with children and their caregivers, we understand and monitor the dynamic progress of the children and their families.

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT PROGRAMME

A component of hospice and palliative care, the programme includes emotional, psychosocial, and financial support to caregivers and families to assist with grief, loss, and adjustment after the death of a loved child.

WISH FULFILMENT AND MOTIVATIONAL ACTIVITIES

From fulfilling a child’s last wish to planning regular fun and motivational activities like field trips to zoos, theme parks, museums, and special events on festivals and birthdays – we celebrate all occasions.

Impact of the programmes in the FY 2022-23

1. Daycare Centre 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 Outreach Programme

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

3. Community Outreach Programme

·       Home visits done for 18 children

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

HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US?

• Rs. 14,400/- can provide 1 child with Nutritional support for 3 months.

You will ensure children quality and nutritious meals 4 times a day in keeping with each child’s dietary restriction.

• Rs. 14,700/- can provide 1 child with Medical support for 3 months.

You will ensure children are provided regular and critical medicines as per their specific needs and that they get hospital treatments and medical procedures as part of their palliative care.

• Rs. 21,600/- can provide 3 children with Educational support for 3 months.

You will ensure children start and continue their education without being discriminated against.

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