Aim of Nina Foundation

NINA FOUNDATION’S AIM:
There is lack of world class spinal cord injury rehabilitation facility in Mumbai. Patients after being discharged from the hospitals post fall/surgery are sent home. Spinal cord injury is a life changing experience and requires : physical, psychological, vocational, social and recreational rehabilitation. As a person does not have bladder and bowel control as well, experienced urologists have to guide them through this process. Specific aids and appliances and methods of independent living imparted.
There are 3,00,000 people with spinal cord injury in India. My PhD Gap Analysis shows:
Total SCI / Year in Mumbai 300
Total No of Beds available 153
_________
GAP 147
__________

Total SCI / Year in Maharashtra 1600
Total No of Beds available 203
__________
GAP 1397
____________

There is a pressing unmet need for a world class centre to give back the dignity and zest for living to our friends.
Recently Nina Foundation has set up an Employment cell. Informally over the years counseling, guidance and placements have been done. Now with this cell, our objective is to promote both employment and enterprise to the spinal cord community.

Contact details:
NINA FOUNDATION
240/11, Shankar Sadan,
Sion [E]
Mumbai 400022
India
Tel: 91-022-24071952
ketna@vsnl.com
ketnam@gmail.com
(www.ninafoundation.org)

Introduction of Nina Foundation

Nina Foundation is a seven years young centre with an objective of spreading hope and optimism amongst the spinal cord injured. The trustees of the foundation include eminent doctors, therapists and philanthropists. Its activities include a bi-monthly newsletter, One World – Voice of Paraplegics It has an advisory board of a team of reputed doctors from India. This is the first newsletter for spinal cord injury from India. The newsletter gives comprehensive information and solutions related to the distinct physical, medical, psychological, social, recreational and vocational needs faced by spinal cord injured in India. It also publishes motivating stories about people who have made it after a devastating spinal cord injury. It creates awareness about the rights, health related issues, ideas, employment scope, access and about facing life on equal terms.

Its other activities include:

• Employment
• Tourism
• Support Group
• Sports. For the Mumbai Marathon on 21^st Jan 2007, and 20^th Jan 2008 50 people with spinal cord injury wheeled for Nina Foundation spreading the message of hope and the urgent need to have a world class spinal cord injury rehabilitation in Mumbai.
• N.F. has also sponsored trophies for paraplegic sports.
• Participate in disability seminars and workshops.
• Authored and presented research papers on the status of the disability sector in India.
• Organised picnics and get together for the community with family members.
• Created powerful advertisements about abilities of the differently able, made presentations and films about inclusion (Let’s walk together) and
• Counseled people with spinal cord injury to be independent and motivated.
• A spinal cord injury Rehabilitation centre in Mumbai.

Nina Foundation has been formed in the memory of Dr Nina Doshi, a reputed Homeopath doctor and sister of Ketna Mehta (founder trustee), herself a spinal cord injured since 1995 due to a paragliding accident.

NINA FOUNDATION TRUST - Trustees are:

Ketna L Mehta, Editor and Associate Dean, Research, Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research

Dhaval Mehta, Chairman, Kreate Advertising Pvt Ltd

Dr Himanshu Doshi, MBBS, Ensco Shipping

Dr Riten R Pradhan, Orthopaedic Surgeon, UK

Dr S Y Bhojraj, Spine Surgeon, India

Dr V C Jacob, Physiotherapist, India

Dr Parinaz Humranwala, Consulting Homoeopath, India

The Trust’s Registration Number is E- 23804 (Mumbai). The Foundation is registered with the Charities Commissioner’s office, Government of Maharashtra, India.

“Take stock of the talents and skills you possess,

Believe in your dreams and you will be a success.”

This is how Nina encouraged me to stretch my limits and think beyond the ordinary. She was a doctor par excellence and a noble saint in the form of a human being. She cared, cheered and championed me continuously to keep aiming higher and higher.

I had a paragliding accident, causing spinal cord injury, on 12^th feb 1995 and most of the thirty days and nights, Nina was alongside me at the hospital. All the five years since my accident she challenged me to exercise, eat well and build my stamina. She encouraged me to continue with my professional work (management consultancy, UBIQUE), pushed me to be independent, took me out in the rains (waterfalls et al) – truly understanding my spirit of adventure, took me out for movies, shopping and drives. She spent time with me, patiently listening to my dreams, suggesting ways of counseling fellow paraplegics. She goaded me to be independent physically and emotionally.

In June 2000, she was no more. At a young age of 39 years. I lost a sister, a guide, a mentor, a friend, a mother, a soulmate. I lost my father in 1988 and my mother in 1993. So she was my anchor, being the eldest.

Her words kept echoing and thus the inspiration that she gave me to continue with life and face it; I decided to share her inspiration and words with fellow friends with spinal cord injury.

Nina is my pole star and I credit her with all that I have done and continue doing. The accolades and awards that have been bestowed is all because of what we do at Nina Foundation.