WHO WE ARE
Access Life Assistance Foundation, an Indian not-for-profit organisation registered as a section 8 company provides multi-disciplinary supportive care to families who come to various hospitals for their child’s cancer treatment.
It provides a loving and temporary home for children undergoing treatment for cancer along with their parents or caretakers. Access Life set up its first center in June 2014 in Chembur and has grown to 9 childhood cancer care centres across Mumbai, Pune, Manipal, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, & now in Coimbatore. Through our 9 centers we have offered a holistic support to more than 2286 underprivileged children with cancer, and their families.
Families come from remote towns and cities across India seeking treatment for their children affected with cancer. While hospitals extend them quality medical services, the poorer families have no place to stay during the 5-12 months (sometimes extending to 24 months) that it takes to complete the treatment. Many end up living on footpaths or are forced to abandon treatment.
Along with a home-like environment for these families, we also address the psychological and social effects of cancer by providing practical support services, nutritional support, educational resources, safe transport to hospitals, and recreational programs.
CHAIRMAN’S NOTE
Our philosophy stems from our core value, that high quality and holistic healthcare facilities should be available for all, regardless of their economic status.
GIRISH NAIR
When we started Access Life, seven years ago, we envisioned that every needy child who comes to Mumbai to undergo treatment for cancer, would have an access to a clean, safe, comfortable, caring, and a cost-free accommodation – a home away from home for both the child and their family. In such a nurturing environment, these little ones would have another opportunity to experience childhood, the way they ought to.
Keeping this in mind, we developed a model at one location, the successful framework of which could then be replicated elsewhere. Thus, we set up the first Access Life Centre for Childhood Cancer Care at Chembur, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, in June 2014. The donation of a mini-van by a generous contributor has ensured a stress-free transport to and from hospitals for our children.
Along with meeting their physical needs, we also addressed the psychological and social effects of cancer.
Counseling, yoga, music, recreational, educational and nutritional supplementation programs, have helped in giving the parents and children, the holistic support they need to tackle this challenging disease. As we grew over the years, we added four more centres for accommodating the children and their families and have received four
vehicles that help us provide transportation for the children at our centres. At present we have 8 centres – our Access Life Centres are in Mumbai, Pune, Manipal, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad now in Coimbatore taking our basic capacity to 153 accommodation units that serve the needs of 459 individuals. Our centres are operating at full capacity and we are looking forward to opening more. Our 9 centres are operating at full capacity and we are looking forward to opening more. The driving force(s) behind all this are our volunteers; and our committed staff, who work selflessly.
We have also made a breakthrough by signing an MOU with TATA Hospital, where we offer nutritional counseling services to teens and young adults challenged with cancer. Our hygiene kit and personal hygiene awareness program are also being appreciated by Wadia, Sion and other hospitals.
In this journey of trying to spread happiness, we have also faced a major challenge in the form of people unwilling to let out their properties for housing young, poor cancer patients. Creating more awareness on cancer should hopefully motivate more people to open their hearts and homes to these children.
and so our Mission continues…….
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Girish Nair Founder & Chairman
Ankeet Dave Co-Founder & Executive Director
Preethi Mutta Director
Karishma Parekh Director Advisory Board
Kala Sundarvedha Director Advisory Board
Neha Huddar Director Advisory Board
Nikunj Jhaveri Director Advisory Board
Sanjiv Mehta Director Advisory Board
Sapan Choksi Director Advisory Board
Sneha Jaisingh Director Advisory Board
R.N.MUKHIJA Director Advisory Board
To create an environment where children have access to quality health care and holistic support and which allows families to face the weight of illness together.
To provide all the children from the age 0-14 years coming to big cities for treatment of cancer, a clean, safe, comfortable, caring and cost-free accommodation, wherein their families are able to better comfort and support them, while actively participating in their care.
OUR PARTNERS
