Remembering Sameer

December 20^th, 1983 holds an important place in our hearts at the Foundation.

While no day passes where we don’t remember and bless Sameer, the second born son of our Founder Trustees, Prema and Jyoti Sagar, who succumbed to a Congenital Heart Defect within hours of his birth, this day always sends up many more blessings and wishes to his soul – a soul that probably came into this world only for a few hours – but who changed the lives of over 3800 children and their families, one life at a time. A soul that led to the birth of a children’s heart foundation that has saved the lives of many children fighting a critical illness.

Our Founder Trustees, Prema and Jyoti Sagar, with their first-born son, Rahul and daughter Simran

Losing a child is one of the most tragic, terrible and painful experiences that anyone has to go through – an experience that you wish on no one. The tsunami of emotions that a loss like this unfolds is difficult to go through, let alone try to put down in words.

When our Founder Trustees Prema and Jyoti, lost their second born son Sameer, to a Congenital Heart Defect, it was something that they had never imagined and something they were not prepared for. During the first trimester of the pregnancy, Prema was on bed rest. She did everything in her power to ensure nothing went wrong. However, sometimes much against everything we try, destiny has other plans. She delivered Sameer, who passed over within hours of his birth. Grieving and embracing their loss, they tried to move on as sometimes life just does not give you options.

Our Founder Trustees Prema and Jyoti Sagar visiting children at our partner hospital in Chennai

However, what set them apart was that in dealing with this personal loss, they embarked on a journey that would change the face of congenital heart defects in the country. They dreamt of setting up a children’s heart foundation which would help parents provide the right help and help in collecting donations for children suffering from critical heart defects. Very few of us are blessed with that ability and motivation to rise over the personal distress and sorrow and reach out to people with who we have nothing do not with, they are not our friends, not our relatives, not our family members-the one thread that connects us with them is the fact that they are going through the same sorrow as you were at one point in time.

In trying to find an outlet for their grief, Prema and Jyoti started working with the Missionaries of Charity to support the donation for children fighting a critical illness. The satisfaction and happiness they got by helping these children led them to think about the many parents who struggle to save their kids born with a Congenital Heart Defect.

And that was the birth of Genesis Foundation – a children’s heart foundation, an organisation that helps parents whose children have a Congenital Heart Defect get access to the essential means needed to make the child better. Where every single parent who needs a lifesaving treatment for a Congenital Heart Defect can do so without having to worry about the money.

Our Founder Trustee Prema Sagar meeting children supported by the Foundation and their families

Today as we observe the day that Sameer was born and left for his heavenly abode, we thank him and his parents, for building a legacy where thousands of children are getting the medical support they need but cannot afford. We thank them for thousands of children who are now living their dreams of becoming a doctor, a police officer, an IAS officer, a teacher without having to struggle to breathe. We thank them for the smiles on the faces of the families of these children who now can sleep in peace in the know that their child’s heart is healed.

Sameer was born to be the star who shines down on all the other little hearts that have been saved and will continue to be saved till we reach a place where no parent has to lose their child to a congenital heart defect because they did not have the money for the treatment or did not know how to manage the illness.

You were born for a reason Sameer – we thank you for the legacy you left behind which beats in the hearts of every single child we support.