How You Can Help

We are supported by the generosity of people like you. PFF is a 501(c)(3) corporation with the Federal Tax ID#20-5484071.

Please make a tax-deductible contribution to help us continue our work.

Members of the Board:

Guarang Pandya, M.D.

Betty Bluekle, CPA

Anna Green, Executive Director, Central California Family Crisis Center

Mickie Manning, (Past) Executive Director, Central California Family Crisis Center

Contact Us

The Pandya Family Foundation
555 W. Putnam Ave.
Porterville, CA 93257

Phone : (559) 782-8533

E-mail : elapandya@gmail.com


Breast cancer awareness project in Patan, October 2008

Upon receiving an email from a young adult the two co-founders of Pandya Family Foundation, Gaurang and Ela Pandya traveled to India in October 2008 for another health awareness project. A young man from Patan emailed Ela Pandya after he read the Newspaper article about the breast cancer awareness project that was accomplished by Tejal and Ela Pandya earlier in 2008. This time, since the request had come from an individual wanting the awareness education to be provided to a specific group of women, a different approach was planned. We enlisted a female breast surgeon from a major hospital in Ahmedabad to go with us to Patan. At the program, Dr. Pandya did a power-point presentation on various issues regarding breast cancer. After the presentation he demonstrated the technique of self-breast exam with the use of a silicone model of the breast. Then, the two models we had brought with us, were passed around among the women so they could get the sense of how a breast lump or cyst might feel.

The women attendees were very engaged and interested. After the formal event was over they all gathered around the female surgeon from Ahmedabad to ask her all kinds of personal health questions.

We (the PFF members) also visited the local hospital Janta Hospital, and met with the trustees to discuss the availability of the mammogram service at affordable rates. The knowledge of early detection in absence of affordable mammograms would prove futile. Fortunately, the trustees at the hospital readily agreed to provide mammograms at subsidized rates.

During the visit to India, PFF members also visited Shamlaji Hospital serving tribal populations in rural Gujarat. The people served by this hospital would have to walk half the day to reach the nearest hospital in absence of this hospital. We toured the facility and found that within the restraints of the resources, the hospital is providing outstanding service to the tribal population. We left with a desire to help with the hospital services in future.

This was another successful PFF project in India.