Chennai, June 23: Over 2,000 students of a private school in Kerala raised over Rs 1 lakh by organising a food festival to help a 10-year-old schoolmate who has been diagnosed with blood cancer.
Class IV student Hari Krishnan fell ill on May 27, the day school re-opened after the summer vacation. He had high temperature. He was diagnosed with blood cancer, principal Fr Mathew Thengumpally said. Hari Krishnan’s father Rajan, a government employee, told Mumbai Mirror that doctors at Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram are hopeful of curing him. The treatment can cost up to Rs 2 lakh.
When other students of Christ Nagar Senior Secondary School at Thiruvallam in Thiruvananthapuram heard about it, they decided to do something more substantial. With help from parents, they organised a food festival to mobilise funds for his treatment. On Saturday, they brought a variety of dishes cooked at home and sold it to parents, alumni and students of a nearby college. The children raised about Rs 1.30 lakh, Fr Mathew Thengumpally said.
But more heart-warming is the way students are parting with their pocket money.
“A Class III student Aditya handed over Rs 10 from his pocket money to me on Monday morning. Earlier, Ashwathy of Class XI contributed Rs 1,000 that her parents had given to buy a churidhar for her birthday. There are several other students who have begun donating money for Hari Krishnan,” the principal said adding that they have shown the world how to show concern and compassion towards your brethren.
—Agencies–