In today's episode, I invited Ankeet Dave and Girish Nair. The episode is a very special one for me as both Access life, and childhood cancer are special topics to me. What started as an idea over conversations has become a formidable force that has helped 500+ kids from all backgrounds. Workmates and friends Girish Nair and Ankeet Dave were 30 something professionals, well settled into a daily routine, peppered with the usual highs and lows. Their job at a leading public relations firm involved managing events and alliances for clients. One client’s desire to invite children from an NGO to an event became a defining moment in both Girish and Ankeet’s lives. They were bitten by the ‘do good’ bug! These two men joined forces with each other, multiplying their time and effort towards a good cause.
Girish and Ankeet began by volunteering to distribute fruit and vegetables at cancer wards in hospitals. Now, a visit to an adult cancer ward, where suffering is rife and lives hang in the balance, can disturb even the eternal optimist, but not this dynamic duo! That was until one day, they made a chance visit to the pediatric cancer ward. Nothing had prepared them for this. Children of all age groups were lying down on newspapers and rags in the corridors of the hospital. And they were being administered chemotherapy through chemo bags dangling from window sills. Girish and Ankeet were shaken to their core. “We tend to believe for some reason that cancer is primarily an adult ailment”, they opined. Explaining further they said, “Whether vices, genetics, or any other cause, it’s just easier to associate the big ‘C’ with those who have lived enough. But not children. It just isn’t something we visualize children being stricken with. Children usually get chickenpox or measles or the common cold. But not cancer! We just couldn’t come to terms with what we saw.”
The idea of Access Life home was thus born with the mission to provide shelter, nutrition, transportation, and counseling support to children with cancer. The morning of 14th June 2014 witnessed the first four families walking into the new Access Life home.
A promising suggestion from a friend to rent an independent house in Chembur did not materialize, and despite the landlord halving the rent, it was still unaffordable. The large security deposit was an additional deterrent. Things weren’t looking up. This, however, was not the end of the road for Girish. He was unshakeable in his resolve to alleviate these children’s pain. Girish and his wife Hemalini had invested in their first apartment in Pune after they married. Desperately out of options, Girish proposed selling the apartment to fund the new centers, and Hemalini agreed without any hesitation. Eventually, he realized that it was crucial to find a more sustainable way to build Access Life, to ensure stability and lasting impact. However, the unquestioning and altruistic family support he received that kept Girish optimistically on the path, and this was instrumental in realizing the Access Life dream.
A journey that began with just two determined young men has now attracted recognition from hospitals, and the support of many who want to help in one way or another to proliferate Access Life’s positive impact on children and their families.
The Podcast is available on the following platforms.