Every child deserves a happy start in life. However, many babies are born with newborn disorders, such as congenital hypothyroidism, galactosemia, PKU, G6PDD, sickle cell anemia, and more, and these diseases often lead to intellectual disability and mental retardation, other brain development issues, and sometimes death. 

But doctors in 1960 discovered a simple and cost-effective method to combat those consequences by diagnosing these disorders right after birth through a simple test known as newborn screenings. Babies are screened right after birth, identifying and addressing health concerns early on, preventing those detrimental consequences and impacting the child's entire life trajectory. 

While newborn screenings are conducted for every child born in the U.S., many hospitals in small towns in India do not mandate them, and it is often unaffordable in underprivileged communities.

This fundraiser was created to support the implementation of a newborn screening program in a few specific hospitals in a rural area of Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India. By donating to this cause, you are paying for underprivileged families to screen their infants for congenital hypothyroidism, one of the most threatening diseases if untreated.

This fundraiser is being led by Aishwarya Saravanan.