Touching Lives

 

By Shibani Gupta

HOUSTON: Over 70 people attended a musical evening by Shobana Chandramohan at Ashiana Restaurant on May 28, Memorial Day 2018, to support the inauguration of Access Life America’s (ALA) Houston chapter by Sharda Prasad and Prasad Narayan. The realization that some people affected by cancer encounter unimaginable obstacles inspires action that creates change. Besides funding cancer research and treatment, one can also alleviate the daily mental, physical, and emotional fight faced by caregivers and patients through empathy and local support.

ALA is a charitable non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a proven track record of helping families impacted by cancer, in India, since 2014. ALA’s dedicated teams of volunteers work tirelessly to provide a home-like environment at their five locations in Mumbai for the parents and caregivers of underprivileged children undergoing cancer treatment. ALA also provides these families with nutritious food, support services, educational resources and recreational programs. Access Life Foundation has supported 253 families so far. Of these, 210 families have completed their treatment and there are currently 43 families staying at their centers.

The ability to empathize and provide logistical support for those fighting cancer at a grass roots level is what drew Sharda to ALA. She was introduced to the cause by a common friend of one of the founders, Girish Nair, who started ALA in Atlanta to help fund Access Life Assistance Foundation in Mumbai. Sharda and her husband Prasad began supporting the cause through donations and now believe that the empathy of sponsors and supporters in Houston can bring value to the cause.

Shobana Chandramohan, a well-known singer, talented performer, and emcee with over 5,000 shows to her credit in several countries, flew in from Dubai to support the event. Her exquisitely crooning voice took everyone on a journey of melodies with nostalgic tunes of the 60’s to the latest popular Bollywood dance numbers. Shobana has participated in several TV programs including TVS SaReGaMa, Closeup Antakshari . She has anchored shows on TV channels including Zee TV and Star Plus.

It costs approximately $287 per month to support 1 child and family including boarding, lodging, and transportation. This inaugural event has already collected more than $6,000 for ALA. Sharda and Prasad said, “We are encouraged by the response to this first event and hope to improve the awareness about ALA in greater Houston and get more sponsors to support the ALA families. We would like to organize a bigger event in the near future.”

Please visit Access Life America (https://accesslifeamerica.org/) for more details about volunteering and donating to the cause.