CHENNAI: Far from Chennai and its madding crowd, some youngsters cut through the silence as they religiously carry on with their routine at the pregnancy care unit at Avvai Shanmugam Street in Tiruvallur’s Rajajipuram.
Alamelu, a woman in her early twenties, wearing a beaming smile on her face, talks to a gynaecologist as her hopeful eyes shift back and forth between the doctor’s face and the baby bump. She is one among the hundreds of expecting mothers who bask under the benevolence of Pretty Lil Hearts Pregnancy Care Chambers, a facility that comforts and coddles underprivileged moms-to-be.
The facility, founded by a group of six youngsters in November 2022, is the fruit of sheer interest towards serving the underprivileged. What started, around six years ago, as an attempt to provide free food and clothing to the homeless pavement dwellers, Pretty Lil Hearts has now grown into a well-established organisation that has been benefiting underprivileged pregnant women.
From gynaecologists to physiotherapists, Pretty Lil’ Hearts houses a group of efficient medical practitioners to look after expectant mothers and newborns. Their work has truly been more than just talk, investing everything they have to bring a sustainable change to society.
While they manage to mobilise money and resources through limited crowdfunding, the core team of Pretty Lil Hearts unanimously thanks their families, friends and a few NGOs who have been pooling in contributions to sustain the activities of the organisation.
The youngsters’ mission is defined in no more than four words, an ‘Infant death free nation’, and their round-the-clock efforts are focused on providing proper care and support for expectant mothers from underprivileged sections of society.
Prabhu, a member of the core group, says that their aim is to bring infant mortality to zero through effective intervention. “Infant deaths are mainly caused due to the lack of proper nutrients and medical care for mothers,” he adds.
Their service in Tiruvallur particularly has been met with a remarkably positive response. So far, as many as 35 disabled mothers and 170 mothers from other sectors have benefited from the facility.
The 22-year-old Alamelu, who is in her ninth month of pregnancy, says she visits Pretty Lil Hearts at least once a week. “Apart from the routine check-ups, the staff prompt me to do physical exercises and provide food charts. I have been following exactly what they tell me to do to keep myself and my baby healthy,” she says.
S Leo Akash Raj (27), a techie turned social worker, who was instrumental in launching the facility, says they have a gynaecologist, physiotherapist, nutritionist, and a fitness coach to tend to the pregnant women visiting the facility. “We work at the facility as volunteers and expect no remuneration for the services we offer here,” he adds.
Leo and his equally devoted companions earned many laurels for their services during the pandemic. He recalls the working day in and out alongside the five others of the core team, driving around the city in his car and ferrying people who require medical assistance, especially pregnant women.
“Several poor pregnant women found it difficult even to pay for hiring vehicles to reach healthcare facilities since the earning members in most families had lost their jobs during the pandemic. That’s when we arranged free transportation service between their homes and healthcare facilities,” he recalls, adding that his family has been supporting all his endeavours wholeheartedly.
While the luxuries and delightful surprises in life have often been reserved for people who are financially stable, the volunteers and activists at Pretty Lil Hearts make it seem otherwise. Leo adds that they sometimes even arrange baby showers for moms-to-be to make them happy.
After all, it isn’t only the rich that deserve the momentary spurts of joy that can be bought with money. It can be counted on, that the world now has a few more mothers and infants who are hale and healthy.