Salman Khan has donated Rs 4.5 lakh for the treatment of a seven-year-old child stricken with cancer, called Saugat Kunwar.
The actor made the donation two months back without making a media spectacle out of the event.
On Saturday, Khan left shooting midway and attended the Annual Day celebrations of Children Welfare Centre High School and Clara’s College of Commerce.
The principal, Ajay Kaul, had personally invited him. Salman sat with the child for about 20 minutes, and then made a quick exit before the media arrived at the event.
Not for publicity
A source says, “Before Salman reached the school, he learnt that the media had been invited to cover the event. He did not want his charitable gesture to be highlighted, so he came to the school about 90 minutes earlier than the scheduled time and left before the press could arrive.”
This is not the first time that Salman has gone out of his way to help people in need, especially those stricken with cancer (See box).
Kaul confirms Salman’s good deed and says, “We had invited Salman because we wanted to thank him. It was my first meeting with him and he is a nice person.
Without seeing or knowing the child, he shelled out such a big amount. He genuinely cares for the less fortunate.”
Costly treatment
Although Saugat does not study in Children Welfare Centre High school and Claras College of Commerce, his parents had approached Kaul for financial assistance for their son’s treatment.
Says Kaul, “Saugat is from Nepal. His treatment is going to cost anywhere between Rs 10-15 lakh. His parents have been running from pillar to post to collect the huge amount.
At our level too we have done our best to help Saugat. We have collected nearly Rs 4 lakh from the school and from other sources.”
Explaining how they approached Salman, Kaul says, “Two parents Samad Khan and Tahir Sheikh approached him. They knew Salim Khan personally.”
Sallu’s bada dil
Salman Khan, along with his entire family, had attended a programme organised by the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) for 250 terminally ill patients.
The actor donated Rs 13 lakh for the cause. Khan had been in touch with the association to donate his bone marrow. He had read that bone marrow could save cancer patients, and so he wanted to donate his marrow, not realising that the operation was extremely painful.
The association had to explain him that he couldn’t donate bone marrow like blood; there is a complicated process involved, which involves matching of tissues of both the patient and the donor.
Sallu’s always available
Make-A-Wish Foundation of India inform that every time they have called Salman with a wish from a terminally ill child, the actor has gone out of his way to co-operate.
A tenth standard student Apurva Agarwal was seriously ill and expressed a desire to speak to Salman.
Since the actor was not in the city, the organisation left a message for him. In a short while, the patient got a call from Salman from Hyderabad. They chatted for 40 minutes.
