How a Mother's Grief Became a Lifeline for Thousands in Maharashtra

Shital Bhatkar has dedicated her life to helping others after losing her son Aarya to a rare disease. She now runs Don Ghas, an initiative providing free meals to patients and their caregivers in Maharashtra. Her work has earned praise for turning personal grief into a mission of service. In 2010, Shital Bhatkar founded With Aarya to raise awareness about Niemann-Pick C, a rare storage disorder affecting one in 500,000 people. Her son Aarya was diagnosed with the condition at just 18 months old. Due to limited diagnostic facilities in India, his blood and skin samples had to be sent to the Netherlands for testing.

Tragedy struck in 2015 when Aarya passed away, but Bhatkar continued her philanthropic efforts. She later launched Don Ghas, which began by distributing 50 food packets. Today, the initiative serves around 1,200 meals daily across five government-run hospitals in Maharashtra.

Beyond meals, she assists patients at KEM Hospital by providing wheelchairs, funding diagnostic tests, and supplying essential medical items. Her work, initially a solo effort, has grown into a group of dedicated volunteers. Veetika Deoras of The Indian Hotels Company Limited called it a 'beautiful example' of transforming personal loss into a mission to help others. Don Ghas now provides over a thousand meals every day. Bhatkar’s efforts have expanded to include medical support and awareness campaigns. Her initiatives continue to make a tangible difference for patients and their families in Maharashtra.