Sania joins movement to save little hearts

HYDERABAD: After winning hearts of tennis fans through her exploits on court, Sania Mirza has now joined a social campaign to provide help to children with heart ailments.

The teen tennis sensation Wednesday joined a campaign to raise funds for providing medical aid to children with heart diseases. She will be the ambassador for Apollo Hospitals' Save A Child's Heart (SACH) campaign.

Sania said it was a great joy to join the campaign and contribute to a movement aimed at saving lives of the children.

"I will feel very happy if I can save even one life and I request people to contribute their might," said Sania at a function here.

The world number 37 has also endorsed SACH bands, each priced at Rs.50.

The bands, modelled on the lines of legendary cyclist Lance Armstrong's Livstrong bands, will be available at all Apollo Hospitals and pharmacies across the country.

The proceeds will go towards helping children with heart diseases. All donors will receive a personal letter from Sania.

Armstrong, a cancer survivor and six-time winner of the Tour de France, has popularised the yellow wristbands as a symbol of the fight against cancer.

The bands, brainchild of the Nike Corporation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, are sold all over the world.

Telugu film actresses Charmi and Shreya and actors Jagpati Babu and Vishnuvardhan also pledged support to SACH, a charitable organisation formed two years ago.

SACH has a list of 3,240 children waiting for heart surgery. While Apollo Hospitals has committed to absorb one-third of the costs of surgery, the Andhra Pradesh government is offering varying degrees of aid for treatment of these children.

The foundation looks for individual, institutional and organisational support for meeting 35 to 50 percent of the cost for each surgery, which can cost anywhere between Rs.80,000 to Rs.100,000.