In response to our appeal for Aspi Sepoy ("Appeal for amputee,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, October 7, 2017) whose two legs were amputated a few inches above the knees after being crushed under a train at Udvada on September 14, 2017, The World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO) Trust has received donations amounting to Rs 72.38 lakhs as on October 31, 2017.
Our estimate is that whilst Rs 20,00,000 to 25,00,000 will be spent on hospitalization, counselling and fitting of prosthetic legs, it will also be necessary to create a fund for Sepoy’s future rehabilitation, payment to a caregiver, meeting the educational and other expenses of his two sons. We are hoping to collect adequate amounts that would enable us to create a corpus that would be capitalized and the interest from which will be paid to him in tranches every month to provide him a simple lifestyle.
Donors may send cheques in the name of "The WZO Trust” to The World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust, C-1, Hermes House, 3rd floor, Mama Parmanand Marg, Opera House, Bombay 400004. Donors contributing through The WZO Trust can avail of tax benefits u/s 80G of the Income Tax Act. Donors wishing to deposit funds directly can do so by remitting to Deutsche Bank, Branch address: D. B. House, Hazarimal Somani Marg, Fort, Bombay 400001; Account title: The World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust, Account No: 400004259620019 (for remittances from India); The World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust — FCRA, Account No: 400004284180028 (for remittances from overseas converted into INR); Account Type: Savings; IFSC: DEUT0784PBC. Donors should provide the address where their receipts should be mailed and also inform their PAN details.
It needs to be acknowledged that Dr Jamshed Bunshah has displayed immense magnanimity by waiving his professional fees, not only for the surgery and his daily visits, but will also be treating Sepoy gratis once the process of fixing prosthetic legs made by the German firm Endolite is undertaken. The process of fixing prosthetic legs will be a long-drawn exercise. Prostheses for amputated limbs have to be measured and fabricated for an individual patient and a number of factors have to be taken into consideration including the level of amputation, nature of the surgery/healing, other medical diagnoses, physical condition of the patient, etc. The patient thereafter has to be assessed regularly with the prostheses which frequently require modifications to achieve optimal fitting and also has to receive training in using the limbs with a multidisciplinary team.
The WZO Trust also takes this opportunity to provide the final update to individuals and institutions that have sent donations for Ervad Sohrab Bharucha ("Support Nargol priest,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, July 7, 2017) who had met with a major accident in Nargol on April 23, 2017 when he had sustained severe injuries to his head and brain.
Bharucha has recovered from his injuries and been discharged from The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital (PGH) on September 25, but will require long term physiotherapy as also speech therapy which will be given to him at Nagpur.
As on September 30, 2017, 201 donors from India and overseas have sent donations amounting to a total of Rs 47,32,900 through The WZO Trust. His wife Dilnavaz has received around Rs 18 lakhs directly from various individuals that has been used towards payment of medical expenses. Additionally, The WZO Trust has paid Rs 11,73,223 to Saifee Hospital and PGH, thus leaving an amount of Rs 35,59,677 on his account. We are remitting an amount of Rs 59,677 to the wife for ongoing expenses towards physiotherapy and speech therapy. The balance amount of Rs 35,00,000 is being invested and the interest received will be made available to the family till such time he is fully recovered and able to resume his mobedi duties. DINSHAW K. TAMBOLY
Chairman, WZO Trust Funds
dinshawtamboly@gmail.com