December 2015, Vol 5, Issue 12

As Sankalp Patrika celebrates six years of publication, we have a good news to share with you. Sankalp Patrika now has an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) - 2455 – 409X. This eight-digit serial number helps a serial publication get uniquely identified.

The history of our jawans is filled with lesser known tales. While some are lost in the pages of history, others went unnoticed and don’t have shining medals to associate with.

Dear Readers, We are happy to share the 6th volume of Sankalp Patrika with you. We took upon ourselves what seemed to be like a herculean task to prepare a 16 page newsletter every month way back towards the end of 2010. As we look back, we are very happy we decided to take that step. Sankalp Patrika has helped us connect far and wide.

Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ullhasnagar, Rajahmundry, Faridabad and Dehradun - in last few months Sankalp India Foundation together with Cure2Children has offered free HLA typing to children suffering from thalassemia who have a healthy sibling. More than 250 families have been offered HLA typing. A fourth of these are likely to find a perfectly matched sibling.

Recently got an opportunity to participate in a blood donation camp in a different state. I was very curious to see how the blood donation camp is organised because there are always those little things which one could learn. The camp was being organised at a public place and it was half way through by the time we reached.

While the clamour to declare thalassemia as a disability grows around the country, year 2015 has brought realisation and reaffirmation to the long held perspective that we have at Sankalp India Foundation for thalassemia. As part of the counselling and motivational exercise, also as part of the speeches and the writings in the books, often the thalassemia families are told that their child should