SPARSH NEWS April – June, 2018

We wish to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to all our donors who continue to support us by making in-kind and monetary donations. Your support enables ‘Team Sparsh’ to provide exceptionally compassionate end-of-life care on a daily basis, that affords both comfort and dignity to our patients and their families. Many of you kind-hearted donors were able to visit our hospice facility personally and have seen our work on first hand basis. We take opportunity through this newsletter to update all the donors who are unable to make a personal visit and see for themselves all the activities that are conducted here at the hospice to ensure that patients are taken well care of and that all donations received are being utilized for the purpose they are gifted to Sparsh. We thank you once again and hope to receive your continued support.

Patient Statistics

APRIL MAY JUNE Total

Admissions

New admissions 21 21 25 67

Readmissions 03 04 03 10

Total 24 25 28 77

In-Patient Admissions

Home Care Patients

APRIL MAY JUNE Total

Home visits

New visits 23 20 11 54

Revisits 11 26 15 52

Total 34 46 26 106

APRIL MAY JUNE NEW

REGISTERED

PATIENTS

Out-patients 11 07 08 26

Out-Patients

April – June 2018

New Admissions 67

Deaths 42

Discharges 36

In-Patients

Total Patients Registered at Sparsh Hospice April – June 2018

In-patients 77

Home Care patients 54

Out-patients 26

Total 157

Trustees Meetings

In accordance with the clause as set in the Trust Deed, it is necessary to conduct at least one Trustees meeting in every financial quarter. We are happy to announce that we have been able to organise and conduct two Trustees meetings in this quarter which were held as on: 1. 14th April 2018; and 2. 14th June 2018 to review the operations of Sparsh Hospice (existing facility) and also to review the new building progress.

In Support of Sparsh Hospice

On 31st March 2018 (FY 2017-18), the renowned singer Shri SP Balasubrahmanyam facilitated a public fundraising programme called the ‘Sparsh Nite - Concert for a Cause’ in support of Sparsh Hospice. The programme was conducted at Shilpakala Vedika, Hyderabad where Padma Bhushan Shri SP Balasubrahmanyam, the celebrated playback singer was the main performer to adorn the night with his melodious voice. The programme was conducted to help raise funds for the construction of a 70 bedded palliative care hospice facility in the 1.1.acre land donated to Sparsh by the Govt. of Telangana.

In the month of May 2018, our Trustees along with our CEO felicitated Shri SP Balasubrahmanyam for the great support he extended for making the ‘Sparsh Nite’ fundraising programme a huge success.

In Support of Sparsh Hospice (contd.)

This family lost their mother to cancer who received palliative care as in-patient at Sparsh Hospice – May 2018. In memory of their mother, the siblings donated Rs. 5 lakhs to Sparsh towards the new building fund. We acknowledge this kind gesture and extend our heartfelt gratitude for their contribution to Sparsh Hospice.

Special Visitors at Sparsh

Renowned Tollywood & Bollywood singer Shri SP Balasubrahmanyam

Meeting with patients at Sparsh Hospice – April 2018

Meeting with Sparsh CEO

In April 2018, Shri SP Balasubrahmanyam personally visited Sparsh Hospice to see the facility and to meet with our patients. He then decided to make a gift of music to the patients and following his visit he sent us a music system along with speakers to be fixed in each room. Now all our patients are able to enjoy music played for them. We play not only the tollywood or bollywood music but also spiritual music which has a calming and soothing effect on the patients. We take this opportunity to once again express our gratitude to Shri SP Balasubrahmanyam for this thoughtful gift to Sparsh Hospice.

Music system and speakers

gifted by Shri SP Balasubrahmanyam

It is a proud moment for us when special individuals, celebrities and teams from various organisations and MNCs visit Sparsh and appreciate our work.

AMD INDIA Team with their CSR Head at Sparsh - April

Special Visitors at Sparsh (contd.)

AMD INDIA Team visited again in May along with Mr. Robert Gama, their colleague from North America. They brought fruit for patients and made an in-kind donation of under pads for patients’ use.

Mr Ramesh Narayan President of Rotary Club of Mumbai visited Sparsh to learn more about

our work - May

Special Visitors at Sparsh (contd.)

Mr Manikandan Head Projects Management, JLL

visited Sparsh to learn more about our work – April

JLL is our Project management Consultant for new building.

Special Visitors at Sparsh (contd.)

Nursing staff led by Ms. Jagrithi from Continental Hospital visited Sparsh to celebrate the Nurse’s Day with Sparsh team on 14th May

Team from Cheyutha Foundation visited Sparsh and hosted lunch for all patients and their family members – May

Tollywood actor Ms. Ragini

visited Sparsh and celebrated

her birthday with our patients

- June

Individual donors from IT industry visited Sparsh to make

an in-kind donation - May

Community Awareness Programmes

Palliative care services for patients with life limiting illnesses are not widely and readily available in India. Many patients and their families are not aware of such a service as palliative care. Sparsh has taken upon itself to spread the word and is reaching out to different communities to spread awareness on palliative care and about the free services we offer to terminally ill cancer patients. Community awareness programmes have been conducted at: a) Deepthi Sreenagar Colony, Miyapur – for 300 plus dump yard and GHMC workers. b) Turkapally, Nalgonda Dist. – for over 150 Farmers and their families. c) Elders Mela, AV College, Domalguda organised by HelpAge India and Elders Club International Foundation.

It is evident that patients with life limiting diseases like cancer face a myriad of challenges that has a direct negative impact on their physical, emotional and social wellbeing. Even their care givers are not spared from the emotional disruption and physical fatigue. To assist with and ensure the emotional and social wellbeing of patients, our team of social workers takes active steps like organising small entertainment programmes like a music therapy, celebration of festivals and patients birthdays, etc. at the hospice.

EMOTIONAL WELLBEING OF PATIENTS Music and Dance Therapy

A DJ Night at Sparsh Hospice premises for our patients and their care givers was organised in the month of April 2018. DJ Goutham played some Telugu and Hindi songs as patients requested.

EMOTIONAL WELLBEING OF PATIENTS Celebrating the Special Days

Celebrated World Yoga Day on 21st June 2018 at Sparsh Hospice in association with Heartfulness Institute. Conducted a yoga session for all patients and their family care givers. All took active part in Pranayama and simple exercises for general wellness.

Team SPARSH celebrated the International Nurses Day on 12th May 2018 to recognise and appreciate the good work done by all our nurses. There was cake cutting and presents distributed to all nurses. All our nurses work hard and are very compassionate and totally committed towards their service to all patients. Presently we have 9 nurses, including one male nurse.

EMOTIONAL WELLBEING OF PATIENTS Celebrating the Special Days

Celebrated Eid-Ul-Fitr with Sparsh Hospice Inmates and patients on 16th June 2018.

Celebrated patient Swarna Kumari's Wedding Anniversary on 16th June

along with her family members.

We do not claim everyday but it is true that Sparsh Hospice has the best volunteers in town. Dr. Rohini Reganti, Ms. Padma Pamulaparthy, Ms. Pallavi Madhira and several others are our long term Sparsh volunteers who assist us with medical and office administration, counselling patients and their families, visiting home care patients to care for them and much more. In the picture here artist Ms. Ridhima can be seen painting the Sparsh Hospice compound wall. She came along with a group of 4 students who volunteered their services to Sparsh.

Wages in the form of love, perks in the form of hopes and promotions in the forms of blessings – this is your reward for volunteering with all your heart. Thank you volunteers.

SPARSH VOLUNTEERS

Types of Cancer Patients Served at Sparsh April-June 2018

S. No. Type of Cancer No. of

Patients

S. No. Type of Cancer No. of

Patients

1 Ca Bone 1 15 Ca Peritoneal fossa 1

2 Ca Breast 11 16 Ca Cervix 1

3 Ca Lung 12 17 Ca Alveolus 1

4 Ca Colon 5 18 Ca oesophagus 3

5 Ca Leukaemia 1 19 Ca Thalamic lesion 1

6 Ca Larynx 1 20 Ca Buccal mucosa 1

7 Ca Oral Cavity 1 21 Ca Peritonium 1

8 Ca Ovary 3 22 Ca CML 1

9 Ca Liver 6 23 Ca Endometrium 1

10 Ca Stomach 7 24 Ca GE Junction 2

11 Ca Rectum 4 25 Ca Pancreas 3

12 Ca Thyroid 2 26 Ca Penis 1

13 Ca Meningioma 1 27 Ca Recto sigmoid colon 1

14 Ca Tongue 2 28 Renal cell carcinoma 2

Total - 77

Testimonials

My grandmother Y. Vinoda has expired on 14th April

2018. We have availed Sparsh home care services in last

days of my grandmother’s life. We are returning hospital

bed which was taken from Sparsh and donating Air bed

as a small gratitude for their Services.

My experience with Sparsh…..

We have availed Sparsh home visit services from

December 2017 to till 14th April 2018 i.e., till my

grandmother expired. She suffered immensely due to a

tumour in her spine which resulted in destruction

D11,D12. As she was 86 years old, doctors have advised

to go for palliative care and one of the doctors advised

me to contact Sparsh Hospice.

I was little sceptical at first with their ‘zero-fee’ policy

and their hospitality. Their service was par-excellent.

The medicinal support and moral support they gave was

really a huge boost to us.

In the last stages of my grandmother’s life we are happy

that we could increase her quality of life by taking her

pain away. I wish Sparsh continues to support more

people.

Y.Aakah – patient’s grandson

aakash.yagnambhatla@gmail.com

Thank you note from Continental Hospital Nurses

We thank you so much for the wonderful opportunity provided by Sparsh. We were 8 of the Continental hospitals staff visited the hospitals under the guidance of Dr. PBN Gopal and Ms. Sasikala N.

We were privileged to visit Sparsh hospice and we were so happy to be part of Sparsh for a half day. We enjoyed the hospitality provided by you. We felt at home. Hospitality of Palliative Care you’re providing to the cancer patients it’s a challenging role to accept every day, every minute. Your team is playing very major role to make it success of hospice care to the patients. In your Sparsh hospice we would like to volunteer whenever you require our services. *They provided email IDs of 3 nurses who wish to volunteer with Sparsh.

Andhrajyoti- Prerana edition – on 23rd April 2018

Media Coverage

Andraprabha-Life edition – on 16th May 2018

New Building Update

Two borewells were dug in June Excavation and Rock blasting April & May

Following is the latest update on our new building: GHMC building committee has recommended

for approval and our application for building fees waiver is under active consideration by Govt. of Telangana.

Meanwhile the builder M/s Phoenix is on board and preliminary work is in progress.

Building Contribution Options to the Donors For Building Fund we have proposed the following tiers of Donors: 5 lakhs and above ---- SPARSH MITRA (Friend of Sparsh) 10 lakhs and above--- BRONZE DONOR 25 lakhs and above --- SILVER DONOR 50 lakhs and above --- GOLD DONOR 75 lakhs and above --- PLATINUM DONOR 100 lakhs to 400 lacs -- WARD/BLOCK DONOR 400 lakhs and above -- Co-Branding of Building There will be a Donor Wall at the new building premises placed aesthetically at a prominent place to recognize all the major donors who contribute towards the new building fund. Tax Benefit for the Contribution For all contributions in India, the donor will be entitled to claim deduction under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act 1961. We are registered as “Sparsh Palliative Care Services” under 501(c)(3) in the USA. The registration enables US citizens and entitles them to claim tax benefits in US.

For contributions in India: Monetary donations can be made by cheque payable to ‘Rotary Club of Banjara Hills Charitable Trust’ or payable online at: http://sparshhospice.org/donation-form.php using PayU Money payment gateway. For NEFT transfer: Bank name: YES BANK Account name: Rotary Club of Banjara Hills Charitable Trust Branch: Banjara Hills Account No: 025094600000400 | IFSC Code: YESB0000250 Contribution towards the new building fund can be made by Cheque or DD payable to “RCBHCT Building Fund”.

For contributions in US: Sparsh Palliative Care Services A NJ Non Profit Corporation 0400640460 501(c)3 Approved; EIN No. 46-497295 Monetary donations can be made by cheque payable to 'Sparsh Palliative Care Services‘ or payable online at: http://sparshhospice.org/donation-form.php using PayPal payment gateway. Or contact Trustee: Lax Gopisetty, 41596 Bostonian Pl, Aldie, VA 20105 Email: lax_gopisetty@gmail.com Cell: 1-571-888-6010

To learn more about us please visit www.sparshhospice.org

We solicit your kind cooperation towards the construction of our new hospice building. A much needed facility, it would offer Palliative care, free of cost to many more patients suffering from acute pain and will help the terminally ill patients in having a peaceful and dignified departure from this world.