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Hi everyone! My name is Karthik Villavan and I am a Mattel Youth Ambassador aiming to raise $1250 for the UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. A little bit about my fundraiser is that I will be teaching swim lessons, for people of all ages, who have any interest in learning how to swim. If you would like to check out more details, please visit my Instagram page @karthikvil. Swimming, however, can be dangerous, exposing many people to the possibility of drowning. That is why I have taken the initiative of becoming a certified lifeguard where I can teach swim lessons cautiously.
My passion for healthcare arose through experiences with my grandmother. Nani, which I call my grandma, is one of the figures in my life who has shaped me to be the person I am today. When I was in elementary school, my parents sent me off to India, where my grandparents lived, every summer. Nani would nurture me there, making sure I was fed, dressed, and always smiling. I believe what makes two people close are not the tangible gifts one can receive or the fact that they are perpetually happy, but the potential to get into quarrels and surmount them. That is what I have with Nani.
As the years passed, my family found out that Nani was diagnosed with Transitional Cell Carcinoma, a type of Bladder Cancer. After I heard the news, I was devastated. She was coming to California to get treated, and I felt that I had to do something to help. I took an interest in health exploration and dived into Bladder Cancer treatments. Everything I researched required advanced medical equipment, but that didn’t mean I should idly stand aside and refrain from assisting. I made it my personal goal to spread positivity around my household in the hopes of giving not just Nani but my whole family an optimistic and uplifting mindset. It was tough at first to witness Nani not being able to use the restroom or eat solid food. But as she began to gather acquired tastes such as Smuckers Uncrustables sandwiches and Caprisun Pacific Cooler juice boxes, I knew that I could step up for Nani. After school, I would drive to a nearby store and buy what she desired with the intention that it would alleviate just a fraction of her pain. Throughout healthcare, I can advocate these values and make sure to inspire children just as I inspired Nani.
Even though Nani still has cancer, I find that I don’t have to disguise my forlorn feelings anymore. Instead, I believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. She will recover because of her will to stay strong, her loving and supporting family, and her skillful doctors working to the best of their ability. But because I have endured this experience, I vow to ensure a better future for my community through fundraising efforts. And although there is a long road ahead for me, I believe that the first steps towards achieving this goal rest at the Mattel Youth Ambassadors Program.
All proceeds raised from this donation will be used to directly benefit the UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. These funds will be collected to help purchase care kits, equipment, and offer an environment for patients to not feel isolated. Every bit of your support can help bring smiles to young children's faces by donating or even sharing. Thank you!
If you do not wish to receive further fundraising information from UCLA Health Sciences, please either call us at (855) 364-6945 or email us at hsd_optoutucla@mednet.ucla.edu providing your name, address, phone number, email, and from which department you're requesting to be removed. Should this fund reach the campus minimum required for the establishment of an endowment or quasi-endowment, The UCLA Foundation reserves the right to convert this fund to an endowment or quasi-endowment. Please review UCLA and The UCLA Foundation’s Disclosure Statements for Prospective Donors and to learn more about how The UCLA Foundation invests and manages its endowments at www.uclafoundation.org/disclosures.