When shelter became home

When in 2008, Jawaharlal Ikka (27) took his son Jeevit (3) to a doctor in Raipur, he was in for a shock. The farmer from Chhattisgarh and his wife Anjalina (24) were distraught to learn that the cause of the high fever that almost killed their son was blood cancer. They were advised to come to Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.

When in 2008, Jawaharlal Ikka (27) took his son Jeevit (3) to a doctor in Raipur, he was in for a shock. The farmer from Chhattisgarh and his wife Anjalina (24) were distraught to learn that the cause of the high fever that almost killed their son was blood cancer. They were advised to come to Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.

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"Getting to Mumbai itself was a challenge as we had only seen it on TV," said Anjalina. "We lived on the footpath for a month before a doctor sent us to St Jude's in Parel," she added.

Their son's condition improved remarkably once they shifted to the centre.

"These people gave us a new life. They gave us a home and a family. There aren't enough words to praise them," said Jawaharlal. The NGO and its inmates also took care of Jawaharlal when he was injured in a road accident during the treatment.