By Balwant Sanghera

Our community is well-known for its generosity. It responds quickly to help people when any natural disaster strikes anywhere in the world. Within days and weeks huge amounts of money are raised to help the needy. Similarly, whenever there is any special need for help by a family, South Asians open their hearts and wallets to help. Same thing happened about three years ago. 

Surrey residents Gaganpreet and Harpreet Deol found out that their newly born son Aryan was born with a very rare disease- SMA Type 1. At that time there was no medication available to treat this illness. Luckily, around that time researchers in the U.S. were successful in developing a drug to treat this rare disease. However, this drug was extremely expensive and far beyond the Deol family’s reach. Consequently, through our media and places of worship, they launched an appeal for fundraising in the community. 

Our community, along with our media and places of worship, did an amazing job in raising funds for Aryan’s treatment. More than $3million was raised within a few weeks. This made it possible for the family to get treatment for Aryan in the U.S. It has given young Aryan a new lease on life. Along with the rest of the community, at India Cultural Centre of Canada Gurdwara Nanak Niwason Richmond’s Highway to Heaven, we prayed for Aryan’s well-being. Also, our congregation raised a lot of money to help with Aryan’s treatment. The Deol family was very thankful to every donor who helped save Aryan. On Friday, September 2, Gaganpreet, Harpreet and Aryan were at Gurdwara Nanak Niwas to attend a wedding of a friend. They paid obeisance at the Gurdwara and thanked the Gurdwara management for helping them. 

The Gurdwara management committee led by President Ubed Singh Sidhu welcomed Deols. We were all very pleased to see Aryan and his family. The enclosed picture shows Aryan with his mom and dad in the chairs in the front and some members of the Gurdwara management standing at the back. All of us prayed for Aryan’s good health and happiness. Gaganpreet and Harpreet thankedthe Gurdwaramanagement, its congregation and the community for helping Aryan three years ago. It was great to see Aryan smile. Gaganpreet and Harpreet asked this writer to thank our community, ourmedia, the community at-large, all of the places of worship and everyone who donated to the fund and gave Aryan a new lease on life. We pray to God Almighty to give Aryan a healthy and happy life. 

In this context, it must be mentioned that three years ago when the Deols launched appeal for donations, the response was overwhelming. As a result of our community’s generosity more money was raised than needed for Aryan’s treatment. The Deol family was kind enough to pass on the surplus funds to another family for the treatment of their toddler with similar problem. This was a commendable gesture on their part. It is an excellent example of our community’s generosity.

Balwant Sanghera is the General Secretary, India Cultural Centre of Canada Gurdwara Nanak Niwas 8600 # 5 Road, Richmond, BC.