On Sunday, 12h January, BAPS Charities presented a cheque for £5,000 to the Brittle Bone Society and a further £5,000 to my AFK (formerly known as Action for Kids) at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden.
The funds were donated by the family of Meesha Patel to commemorate the tenth year anniversary of her passing away. Meesha was born with Osteogenesis-Imperfecta (OI) commonly known as Brittle Bone Disease. A rare disease, this condition affects approximately 1 in 15,000 people across the UK and renders their bones highly susceptible to breakage with many suffering from fractures. Meesha was only 24 years when she passed away due to this condition in 2010. Despite her physical disability, Meesha was an active fundraiser for charity and completed both a BSc and MSc in Biomedical Sciences at Kingston University and participated in BAPS’s sponsored walks to raise money for various charitable causes.
The Brittle Bone Society is the only national charity in the UK which assists those with OI. It provides a support network for those with the disorder and, to date, has secured more than £1 million of funding for vital healthcare equipment like specially-adapted wheelchairs.
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. It also prepares students with learning disabilities for life after school through accredited education, training and work experience programmes.
“Meesha was much loved amongst the OI community. We are so grateful for the donation and for those that we will be able to continue to support in her memory.” said Patricia Osborne, Chief Executive of the Brittle Bone Society.
Ben Bridger of my AFK was also presented with a cheque for £5,000. In his address, he emphasised that donations such as the one presented by BAPS Charities will help to provide electric wheelchairs for disabled children.
