NEST reaches out to differently abled children

: ‘NEST,’ a non-profitable voluntary organisation based in Koyilandy working in the field of palliative care for the last 10 years, was started with just five volunteers and a couple of patients. It now has a few thousand patients, including terminally ill, and more than 300 active volunteers to look after them.

In 2012, it took up a new mission — care for physically and mentally challenged children. Instead of housing such children at a ‘care home,’ which is often the case, NEST is attempting is to bring them to the mainstream of society by giving them special care and specialised treatment at the right time.

At present, NEST, which functions from an own facility in Koyilandy with the assistance of kind-hearted people, has 125 differently abled children under its care. These include children with hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and congenital learning disability.

A few years experience in the field has given the collective sufficient insight about the present state of special care for children in the country. This prompted NEST to take up its new mission — to set up an institute of international standards to provide comprehensive and most up-to-date care to differently abled children from their birth, says Mohammad Yunus, one of NEST co-founders.

In any advanced country, diagnosis, care and treatment for a mentally or physically challenged child begin from the very labour-room, he says. In most cases, it begins with an immediate psychological counselling for the devastated parents. The nature and severity of the disability is instantly assessed and the care and treatment is begun right away. It’s done by a team of experts from various disciplines. “This is what NEST is envisaging to do now,” said Abdulla Karuvancheri, its present chairman.

NEST has already identified a few acres of land for its proposed international academy and research centre for children with special needs. According For details, call ph: 9745126699.