500,000 - 750,000 was the target amount needed to save Geetha initially, until we found about the option of treatment in Israel. Still remember Geetha breaking down and losing hope when she heard the estimates of Rs.2-3 crores. Then gaining faith and hope again in me & her family being able to do something for her.
After going through the logistics the target was determined to find and gain some help from atleast 10,000 people. To find these 10,000 we had to reach and make at least 20,000 people aware about our situation. We were hoping of raising at least the initial deposit amounts for acceptance into a hospital and the remaining money from charity organizations once she was in the hospital.
1000 angels in each city. 10 Cities would have done the work. But inspite of the huge effort undertaken we could find only under 600 donors for this effort in the USA.
Appeals were sent out initially with the only motive to make as many people aware of Geetha's situation as possible. Appeals were made to relegious centers to pray for Geetha's health and to a request to their members to see the website and see if they could help. Appeals to various Human Resource ofices of corporations , businesses and employers around the world. Appeals to charitable organizations.. appeals to every person we could reach and posters and brochures in stores and public places and media and publications that we could reach.
We had experiences varying from inspiring and encouraging to demoralizing and dissapointing in this effort.
Many had spent days and hours sending out emails and then following up with phone calls and personal requests and yet there were many who just deleted the mail and ignored the whole episode.
From organizations that refused to even help create a awareness to its memebers through prayer meetings/ internal mails to organizations and companies that cirulated the email via official channels and their charity set ups.
From friends and Collegues who donated big amounts inspite of having financial difficulties and medical emergencies in their own family to those who refused to even acknowledge the appeal.
From a 5th grade student who knocked on every door in his apartment complex and collected Rs.700 to people who expressed frustrations in their attempt to seek help and gave up on day one.
We now are working on this search for finding these angels in every city who can rise to the occasion for helping another fellow human. An attempt is being made by the save Geetha team towards this goal so no one has to undergo this pain, for trying to save a life again.