When a serious medical diagnosis like cancer strikes a family, the financial and emotional shockwaves extend far beyond the hospital bed. For low-income families traveling to major medical centres in Kolkata from distant towns, prolonged treatment results in complete household disruption. Children in these circumstances endure a dual vulnerability: many are enduring painful treatments themselves, while countless others accompany an ailing parent, missing months of school, regular meals, and simple play. Recognizing this overlooked reality at a young age, high school student Hridaan Jhunjhunwala set out to build a holistic safety net that restores dignity and joy to young lives in distress.

Hridaan’s connection to the cause began at age four-and-a-half when his maternal grandfather went through treatment for cancer. Spending long days at Tata Medical Centre with his mother, Hridaan began sitting with the children outside the treatment rooms. Rather than offering mere sympathy, he sought to build genuine empathy and human connection. Armed with Ludo boards, colouring books, and chocolates, he turned dreary waiting spaces into shared play areas.