01 October,2026 07:15 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh Mayure
Mayuresh Gujar (in black shirt) explains his cause to Anant Ambani. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Mumbai-based influencer Mayuresh Gujar, 26, who took up the challenge to raise R9 crore for 22-month-old Vedansh Singh for his Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1 - a rare genetic disorder - treatment, got a big boost as industrialist Anant Ambani assured him help with Vedansh's care.
The meeting was like a dream come true moment for Gujar, who has 4.6 lakh followers on Instagram. "I never imagined that Anant Ambani would stop his car and ask me to come closer to explain what I was doing. This is beyond my expectations. It's a big deal for me because he is so busy, but he spent a few minutes listening to me patiently. He immediately gave me hope," he said.
(From left) Vedansh's father Sushant, Mayuresh Gujar, Sushant's mother Kamla with Vedansh, and Vedansh's mother, Harshita. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Mayuresh and his team spent six to seven hours daily rising funds by holding up banners and appealing to people at various locations including the Ganesh aagmans at Parel and Lalbaugcha Raja, the Babulnath temple, Siddhivinayak temple, Shri Swami Samarth temple in Dadar, Mahalaxmi temple, ISKCON temple, St Michael's Church at Mahim, and various Dahi Handi events for a month. They managed to raise Rs 2.22 crore so far, but the major relief came on September 21.
Mayuresh Gujar, social media influencer
âMy team and I were standing near the Lalbaugcha Raja gate with the donation banner from 10 pm onwards on September 20, and we saw Anant Ambani returning after darshan around 5.18 am. When he saw me with the banner, he stopped his car, spoke with me and asked for details. I explained the seriousness of Vedansh's illness while speaking with him for around four-five minutes, and he immediately said that he would sponsor it.'
According to Gujar, Anant told him to connect with his team and assured him that the treatment would be taken care of. "I can't express these feelings in words. This is one of the best feelings for me, considering the way we were working for this cause over the last month."
Gujar said that the article about Vedansh's critical health published in mid-day on September 12 plays a key role in his endeavour. "I'm grateful to mid-day for publishing the article because that story immensely created awareness. It actually increases the credibility of our mission, and people are helping us with trust," he remarked.
Now, Gujar and his team are waiting for Vedansh's treatment to start. "We are hoping that they [Ambani family] will bring Vedansh to Mumbai soon and start his treatment," Gujar added.
