Team Miracle - How we started

We are all part of a wonderfully vibrant support group, which we like to call Team Miracle. We work with paraplegic soldiers, poor cancer patients who can barely afford treatment or nutritious diet, orphans and destitute women who have faced domestic violence.

How Team Miracle started is a story of so many (seemingly) unconnected incidents, which magically came together at some point of time!

When and how did Team Miracle start? And why do we call it Team Miracle?

It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact date and say, “Oh, this is the day we started Team Miracle.” Because the entire effort has been unfolding like a Miracle.  Each of our members has come in at the right time like a Miracle, like an answer to a prayer, and helped out in their own unique ways.

It started out with just my husband and I wanting to help others in whatever little ways we could. We had already been doing a little work for Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) and the Artificial Limb Centre (ALC) – nothing much, just talking to them, counseling them and trying to give them some emotional boost.  

When we learnt that CPAA held Music Programs at the cancer wards of hospitals, we decided that my husband Anup, who loves playing the harmonica (mouth organ), could put his musical talents to use and cheer up the patients. We were selecting the list of songs, when we got a call from Anup’s brother, Amitabh.  Amitabh is such a busy professional that we barely meet, even though we live in the same city. But the moment he heard of our program, he wanted to join in, along with his guitar. Along with him came his wife Neelima who’s done Art Based Therapy and plays a host of unusual musical instruments. Well, that was even better!

Two days later, Amitabh called up to ask if a former colleague of his – Neeti Kaikini – could join in too. Neeti’s parents are both cancer survivors and she wanted to do her little bit to give back to the hospital where they had undergone treatment. Would we mind? This was God-sent…more so, because Neeti turned out to be a real nightingale.

More miracles:

More miracles were to come. Nader Shaikh, Executive Chef at the 5-star Le Meriden, and an old friend, also joined the bandwagon by sending delicious (and nutritious) food packets for all the 80 patients in the ward.

This first Music Program at the Command Hospital on 29 April 2010 was a real success. Now, you tell me, didn’t all this come together as one big Miracle!

A few months later, on 7 Oct, 2010, we planned another music program at the same venue. Our musicians remained the same, but who would sponsor the fruits and biscuits for the patients? A day before the event, just when we were despairing of finding a sponsor, a miracle happened! My friend Suchismita’s voice came floating cheerfully over the telephone lines. She and her husband Jayant Pai, would like to chip in.

These were the original members who helped us. Since then so many have offered help in cash and kind …just when we need it most, that we could think of no better name than  Team Miracle.

What do you say?