Archive · 24 Aug 2026
SAATH Trust Supports Children with Thalassaemia and Their Families
Thalassaemia major is a genetic blood disorder that makes children need regular blood transfusions.
Some children need transfusions every 10 to 15 days for their whole lives.
Their families may also have to pay for medicines, tests and hospital care.
Sujata Raikar started SAATH Charitable Trust in 2012 to help these children and their families.
The trust helps pay medical costs and provides counselling and other support.
It also teaches people that thalassaemia is not contagious.
SAATH encourages people to take a simple blood test before marriage to learn whether they carry the thalassaemia minor trait.
If one partner carries the trait and the other does not, their children will not have thalassaemia major.
Sujata Raikar founded SAATH Charitable Trust in 2012 after meeting a child with thalassaemia major.
Children with thalassaemia major need blood transfusions every 10 to 15 days throughout their lives.
SAATH covers medicines, blood tests, hospital bills, annual MRIs, scans and other medical expenses.
The trust provides counselling, financial and nutritional assistance, and emotional support to families.
SAATH conducts awareness sessions, blood donation drives and screening camps to promote prevention and early identification of carriers.
- Who
- Sujata Raikar and SAATH Charitable Trust support children with thalassaemia major and their families; actor Smita Jayakar praised the work.
- What
- The trust provides medical, financial, nutritional and emotional support, while conducting awareness, blood donation and screening activities.
- When
- SAATH Charitable Trust was founded in 2012; the article does not specify when the current activities occurred.
- Where
- The work is associated with Prabhadevi and includes activities in schools, colleges, corporate offices and residential societies.
- Why
- Families face lifelong treatment costs, medical challenges, social isolation and misunderstanding about thalassaemia.
- Organisation
- SAATH Charitable Trust, meaning Support and Aid for Thalassaemia Healing
- Founder
- Sujata Raikar
- Founded
- 2012
- Transfusion frequency
- Children with thalassaemia major require blood transfusions every 10 to 15 days, according to Raikar.
- Medical assistance
- Daily medicines, blood tests, hospital bills, annual MRIs and related scans
- Community programmes
- Awareness sessions, blood donation drives and screening camps
- Contact
- 9920779877