Olly Cogan with Gautham Nair

What Led Gautham to Create Hands To Hearts?

(In his own words… )

We have all been sick or have had a loved one who has been sick in some way, shape, or form. And I often wondered what I could do to help. When I was twelve, I was giving food to a mother and her infant staying at the Le Bonheur Fed Ex Family House. Patients at this institution are residing in these units while receiving medical care at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital for heart conditions such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The mother was from a foreign country and had little to no support. Her husband could not stay in the U.S. because he had to work, so she is facing this adversity almost alone. When I entered into the complex, I saw the mother cradling her crying baby; the baby had a feeding tube attached to them and eating was still difficult because of the intense treatments they were undergoing. Seeing the mother putting on a smile and bravely fighting through these circumstances for her child made me uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable because I wanted to help her; I wanted to be there to support her.  

This was a critical moment in my life; it made me tackle my own privilege: I was fortunate enough to grow up without these afflictions, had access to quality health care, and had a supporting environment around me. Many people suffer because they lack one or more of these.  

Growing up I was always involved in community service; I understood early on the value of giving back to your community and helping others whenever you can. As an Eagle Scout, I led a community service project building a gazebo for a church, and I had been involved in several other projects and volunteering events, such as the Memphis Union Mission and Collierville Food Pantry. At school I loved Beta Club which also focused on serving school and community organizations. As I grew older, I became more invested in my community. I began volunteering at the Church Health Center and the Hospice House. I learned how there are disparities in treating patients, how sickness afflicts all people, and how people require access to quality healthcare.  

My experiences at the Fed Ex Family House, Church Health, and the Hospice House inspired me to act. In my freshman year of college, I founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit HandstoHearts, which raises money for children with heart afflictions in the Memphis Metropolitan area and spreads community awareness about heart conditions through events and social media. HandstoHearts is one passion that is dear to my heart, and with most passions, the more you get involved, the stronger the passion becomes.  

Want to get involved?

Our next series of blog volunteer signups will be posted August 9th. Stay tuned for an update!