St. Jude India
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| Founded | April 2006 |
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| Founder | Shyama Kaviratne & Nihal Kaviratne |
| Type | Section 8 Company under MCA, Govt of India |
| Focus | Free accommodation and holistic support for under-privileged children suffering from cancer |
| Location | |
| Website | www |
St. Jude India ChildCare Centres (also known as St. Judes) is a non-profit organization in India. St Judes India provides free-of-charge shelter and holistic care to children who are undergoing cancer treatment along with their families. It is a Section 8 non-profit company supported by individuals, corporate houses, and charity trusts.
Founded in 2006 by Nihal and Shyama Kaviratne, St. Judes has 68 centers located in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai , Kolkata, Guwahati, Delhi, Jaipur, Vellore, Chennai, Varanasi, Vishakhapatnam, Muzaffarpur, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. The free-of-cost accommodation and holistic care includes an infection-free environment conducive to the child's recovery, educational and recreational services for the children and their parents, and counseling services throughout the duration of their treatment.
St. Judes credo has always been ‘Once a St. Judes child is always a St. Judes child’. In keeping with this vision, their new vertical - St. Judes for Life has been established in the memory of Mrs. Rani Vicaji, to ensure that these children who have won the battle against cancer are able to fulfil their potential. They come from underprivileged families who had made great sacrifices to ensure that their children were treated successfully for cancer. To this end, St. Judes for Life continues to provide support to the survivors (also called Judians) as the need arises.
Parents bring their cancer-affected children from distant villages and towns in India to large cities where they can get medical treatment at minimum or no cost. During the treatment, there are intermittent periods of rest when the child recuperating from chemotherapy treatment must be protected against opportunistic secondary infections resulting from unhygienic conditions and poor-quality food. The unavailability of hygienic shelter, nutritious food, having to travel to and from the hospital, and emotional distress often force the parents to abandon their child's treatment. By providing the child and the parents with an infection-free accommodation and the necessary nutritional and holistic support - all free of cost, St. Judes makes a crucial intervention leading to the child's recovery and a noticeable increase in the survival rates of child patients with cancer.
In addition, St. Judes also addresses the families' educational, recreational, and emotional needs under its care by organizing customized educational programs, celebrations of cultural events, and outings. Transport facilities too are extended to patients for hospital visits. Regular counseling and alternative therapy sessions are held to help the families cope with the stress and trauma that they undergo during the treatment.
Founded by Mr. and Mrs. Kaviratne, the first center for St. Judes was established in Parel, Mumbai. This prototype center had eight individual family units, each accommodating a child patient and its parents. This prototype has now been replicated across the county. In Parel, centers are located close to Tata Memorial Hospital, where most children receive medical treatment. A campus at Cotton Green has also been established in partnership with Mumbai Port Trust (MPT) and Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), accommodating 165 families close to Tata Memorial Hospital. Centers have also been established in Kharghar, on the campus of the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC); the R&D section of the Tata Memorial Hospital, with a particular center only for patients recuperating from Bone Marrow Transplants.
St. Judes centres are present in 11 cities and support 876 families across 68 centres.
Donations to St. Judes are eligible for tax exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.