BAPS Charities presented a cheque for £5,000 to my AFK (formerly known as Action for Kids) at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, on Sunday 12 January 2020.
The funds were donated by the family of Meesha Patel to commemorate the tenth anniversary of her passing.
Meesha was born on 6 March 1985 with Osteogenesis-Imperfecta (OI). Commonly known as OI (or brittle bone disease), the condition affects approximately 1 in 15,000 people across the UK and renders their bones highly susceptible to breakage, with many experiencing repeated fractures throughout their lives.
Despite her physical disability, Meesha completed both a BSc and MSc in Biomedical Sciences at Kingston University and was an active fundraiser for charity, including for BAPS’s annual sponsored walks. She was also an active and valued member of the youth forum at the Mandir. Meesha passed away in 2009 at the age of 24.
The Action for Kids charitable trust was established in 1992 by Sally Bishop OBE, a mother of a disabled boy who was raising money to purchase a powered wheelchair. The charity was rebranded as ‘my AFK’ in 2018 and provides mobility equipment unavailable through the NHS and prepares students with learning disabilities for life after school through accredited education, training and work experience programmes.
Ben Bridger, representing my AFK, was presented with the cheque for £5,000 in a special evening assembly. In his address, he emphasised that the generous contribution will help provide electric wheelchairs for disabled children.
To learn more about my AFK, please click here.
Disclaimer: BAPS Charities is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
