BAPS Charities Donates £10,000 to the Brittle Bone Society and my AFK

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, 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 Brittle Bone Society was established in 1968 by Margaret Grant MBE and is the only national charity in the UK which exists to assist 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 and prepares students with learning disabilities for life after school through accredited education, training and work experience programmes.

Mr John Phillips, Vice-Chair of the Brittle Bone Society, attended a special presentation ceremony in the evening. Addressing the congregation, Mr Phillips shared, “On behalf of the Society and the entire Brittle Bone community, I would like to thank you for your continued support and choosing to honour Meesha’s life in this way.”

Patricia Osborne, Chief Executive of the Brittle Bone Society, also added her own appreciation. “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.”

Ben Bridger of my AFK was also presented with a cheque for £5,000. In his address, he emphasised the generous contribution will help provide electric wheelchairs for disabled children.

To learn more about the Brittle Bone Society and my AFK, , please click the respective links.

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