Either life entails courage, or it ceases to be life. These famous words by British novelist and essayist Edward Morgan Forster encapsulate the ideology of Happy Feet Home, India’s first and only free hospice for children suffering from terminal illnesses such as cancer, HIV and thalassemia. The brainchild of Mansi Shah and Abhishek Tatiya, the centre, which will be built at the Urban Health Centre of Dharavi Hospital, will be in collaboration with the Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital (better known as Sion Hospital). The 1,200-sq ft space, which will open its doors this year, will be a day care centre for kids where they can indulge in recreational activities and undergo art, music, play and dance-based therapies to give them the courage to lead the last few days of their life with a smile on their face. It will also conduct various counselling sessions and offer bereavement support for families to cope with their child’s loss.

Abhishek Tatiya and Mansi Shah, co-founders of Happy Feet Home, aim to make their centre operational from this year