IN NEED OF AID: A polio-stricken child

Babita was afflicted with polio early in life but a corrective surgery and calliper fitment gave her the chance to be normal again. Now married with a daughter, Babita runs a small beauty parlour in her house. Babu Lal, also polio-struck, underwent surgery in 1993 and now has a tailoring shop in a small village near Jaipur.

Babita and Babu Lal are not statistics. They are people who exemplify the difference a generous gesture, howsoever small, can make to another's life. You, too, could help.

Many of India's large number of physically challenged children, especially those afflicted with polio, are from lower-income families in urban slums battling with physical, mental, social and economic obstacles.

The Delhi Council for Child Welfare (DCCW), established in 1952, works with physically challenged children. The children's orthopaedic hospital it set up to provide a variety of services under one roof-specialised surgery, speech therapy and physiotherapy, vocational training and making of callipers and specialised appliances-has now become a base from which medical camps are held on the outskirts of India's capital. It also provides specialised support to other organisations working in the field of disability.

A minor polio-corrective surgery costs about Rs 5,000 but a major surgery, including operating upon both legs, leg lengthening and post-operative care, costs Rs 15,000-25,000. At any given point of time, DCCW has at least 40 people awaiting surgery. While the will exists, inadequate finance serves as an impediment to helping many more children. Here's where you can make a difference. Sponsor a child's surgery and change his life. There are many more Babitas and Babu Lals who are waiting for you out there.

Send cheques/drafts to: "Care Today Fund A/c Make a Difference".

CARE TODAY
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New Delhi-110 001
Ph: 91-11-331 4216
Contact: Skalzang Youdon/Ajit Chaudhuri
e-mail: ajitc@intoday.com