Risha’s Impact
Risha’s life was a powerful testament to the impact of giving. Driven by a deep desire to help others, she founded the Kids Who Care Foundation at seven with our parent's help, leading thirteen years of service projects for children facing illness, hardship, and disaster. She served as a Youth Ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Children’s Starlight Foundation, advocating for children with serious medical conditions and sharing her journey publicly. Her story was published across books, news outlets, and even Scholastic Magazine, reaching hundreds of thousands of classrooms nationwide to inspire young children.
We hope learning about Risha’s efforts inspires you to give back and shows how even small acts of kindness can make a meaningful difference at any age.
Kids Who Care Foundation
At age 7, Risha founded The Kids Who Care Foundation. In 2004, after undergoing an Auto Islet Cell Transplant for Chronic Pancreatitis, she already understood more than most children what it meant to spend long days in a hospital room, missing home, and staying brave through painful procedures.
Instead of focusing only on herself, Risha wanted to help other children facing major surgeries and chronic illness. With the support of my parents and alongside me, she created the foundation with a simple but powerful goal: kids helping kids, proving you can make a difference at any age.
Through the foundation, we sent out giant “card quilts” to decorate hospital rooms, created Smile Packs filled with books, toys, and DVDs, organized traveling variety shows, and ran toy drives, food drives, fundraising events, and disaster relief projects.
Risha also gave school presentations to educate children about Pancreatitis and Diabetes, raising awareness and encouraging compassion. Another program, My Journal, let parents create free online journals for their child’s medical journey, sharing updates, photos, and messages with loved ones, while also providing educational resources to support affected families.
Even as a young child battling serious illness herself, Risha found ways to lift others up, turning her struggles into compassion, advocacy, and hope.
Project Playroom:
Built first ever children's playroom in a hospital in Idar, India
Risha, my parents, and I led a project for the Kids Who Care Foundation to create the first-ever children’s playroom in a small rural hospital in Idar, India. With the help of the community, we shipped new toys, books, and games, and put together a kid-friendly medical kit so doctors could explain procedures in a fun and approachable way. Together, we transformed an old, dusty closet into a bright, welcoming, and playful space that brings joy and comfort to young patients.
Before
After
Age 13, Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club, Montage Laguna Beach, CA
Additional Volunteer Projects
Card Quilts and Smile Packs
Kids as young as three years old helped make “Get Well Soon” cards, which were then sewn together into colorful quilt cards. Alongside these, we put together Smile Packs—care packages filled with books, toys, games, and DVDs chosen based on each child’s request—and shipped them all across the country to brighten the days of children recovering from surgeries or living with chronic illnesses.
Traveling Variety Shows
We organized traveling variety shows where kids of all ages performed at hospitals, autism centers, and programs for children with epilepsy. Shows included puppet shows, magic tricks, dance, and singing, and were fully interactive. After each performance, we taught the children the dances, magic tricks, or songs so everyone could join in, creating a fun, hands-on experience that brought joy and confidence to every child.
Youth Ambassador Program
Our Youth Ambassador Program taught children as young as five how to speak confidently in public and share the mission of the foundation. Ambassadors, including myself, learned to navigate the 30-page slideshow presentation and were encouraged to speak at school assemblies, community events, and other nonprofit organizations to spread the message of compassion, service, and the power of kids helping kids.
OC Great Park Pet Fashion Show
In 2011, Risha helped organize the first-ever Pet Fashion Show at the
Orange County Great Park, drawing thousands of attendees. She
coordinated a variety of pet vendors, a live band, a demonstration by the
Irvine Police K9 Unit, food, and a panel of judges to make the event exciting and fun for everyone. The show raised funds for the Orange County Animal Shelter and other local pet organizations, combining community entertainment with support for animals in need.
Pancreatitis Webinar
Risha and my parents organized a Pancreatitis Support Q&A Webinar that brought together participants from around the world. The webinar provided valuable information on Pancreatitis and included a panel featuring two of Risha’s doctors, Dr. David Sutherland (transplant surgeon) and Dr. Bellin, who answered questions and offered guidance to patients and families dealing with this rare and challenging condition.
Disaster Relief Drives
Risha and our foundation led multiple disaster relief projects, including assembling book bags for children affected by the earthquake in Haiti, organizing a food drive for families impacted by Hurricane Katrina, and collecting baby supplies for those affected by the tsunami in Japan. Each project aimed to provide immediate support and bring comfort to children and families in need around the world.
Virginia Tech Fundraiser
In response to the Virginia Tech school shooting, Risha and our foundation created specialized card quilts for each student who lost their life or was injured. These quilts were made to honor their memory, provide comfort, and show that even in the face of unimaginable tragedy, children and communities could come together to support one another.
IV Pole Buddies
Since Risha had to drag an IV pole everywhere she went, whether next to her bed at home or through hospital hallways, she and my mom came up with the idea of the IV BUDDY, a small sock puppet to keep her IV company. Soon, students and kids began making their own IV BUDDIES at fundraising events, and we sent these comforting little companions to other children in hospitals as well.
Kids Who Care Foundation, Age 15, 2011
Irvine Unified School District, Age 14, 2010
Make-A-Wish
Youth Ambassador
When Risha was nine, she was chosen to be a Make-A-Wish child. Two volunteers showed up at our door and asked, “Risha, if you could have any wish in the world, what would it be?” I yelled out "A puppy!", but my parents didn’t take me up on that. Since we were rarely able to go on a vacation, she and our family decided on a seven-day Alaskan cruise. Make-A-Wish picked us up in a limo, decorated our cabin, arranged for us to meet the ship’s captain, and even let us go backstage at a Broadway-style musical to try on all the wigs!! It was such an unforgettable experience.
From that moment, Risha and I continued to share her story and the impact of her foundation with communities across the country. As a Make-A-Wish Youth Ambassador, Risha and I spoke in front of hundreds of people about her journey to raise money and awareness for the foundation. She served as a powerful voice for children facing critical illnesses, sharing her story with grace and courage to inspire communities to support Make-A-Wish. Through public speaking and advocacy, she helped raise significant awareness and funds, ensuring that more children could experience the life-changing power of a wish.