Rasik8217;s wish comes true

AHMEDABAD, April 8: It was a 1,000 watt smile no doubt, but of the kind that brings tears to others' eyes. Terminally-ill Rasik, who is i...

AHMEDABAD, April 8: It was a 1,000 watt smile no doubt, but of the kind that brings tears to others8217; eyes. Terminally-ill Rasik, who is in the last stage of blood cancer, was joyous when he got the two-in-one music system he had very reluctantly asked for.

People standing around him clapped to cheer him up when he put a cassette in the system and the small room was filled with the famous Kuch Kuch Hota Hai number Tum paas aaye8230;. Rasik smiled in acknowledgement.

Seeing his last wish fulfilled, the hearts of those who made this possible were filled with joy.

Youngest child of a small farmer of Taalod village near Bayad on Sathamba Road north of Ahmedabad, Rasik was diagnosed as having acute lymphoblastic leukemia some three years ago. He was admitted to the children8217;s ward of the cancer department at the New Civil Hospital here. Since then, Rasik is brought to the ward from Taalod every fortnight Occasionally, he is admitted for a week or so.

When Vinodini Bhatt-Panchal, trustee of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visited Rasik and asked him what he wished for, he was reluctant to say anything.After a couple of visits from the trustee, however, he said he wanted a two-in-one music system 8220;with detachable speakers8221; so that he can listen to Hindi film songs at home with his friends.

The foundation found sponsors in M.R. Baxi and Arun Trivedi, who work at the State Bank of India8217;s Gujarat University branch. They were very modest about their gift. 8220;Our only objective is to see him happy,8221; said Baxi.

This is the first time the two have interacted with the foundation. The foundation had some weeks ago fulfilled the wish of another terminally-ill child. He had wanted to 8220;become a police inspector8221;. An arrangement was made with the police commissioner and he was taken round in a police van, attired in full uniform.

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The Gujarat chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation was set up in September 1998. It is an affiliate of the US-based Make-A-Wish Foundation International, set up in 1980. The foundation8217;s objective is to help anyone under 18 threatened with a terminal illness to realise their wish. Any child who will probably not survive beyond 18 because of serious illness can be a 8220;wish child8221;.