In Kannur’s Chala, a group of youngsters is turning Onam celebrations into a fundraiser for their 16-year-old classmate, Sreedevina, a Class 11 student at Chala Government Higher Secondary School who is battling kidney ailments. Her treatment, including a possible kidney transplant and follow-up care, could cost up to ₹30 lakh, a significant burden for her financially vulnerable family. To support her, the youngsters, along with local residents and traders, are selling Onam flowers and payasam, directing the proceeds towards her treatment. The initiative reflects how a community has chosen to transform a festive tradition into a collective effort to help a young student access critical healthcare.
Youngsters Turn Celebration Support
The fundraising initiative has brought together youngsters and residents in Chala ahead of Onam. Instead of limiting the festivities to personal celebrations, they have organised flower sales and payasam stalls to collect money for Sreedevina’s treatment. The effort is being supported by the local youth group Chala Changs, along with residents and traders who have joined the campaign.
According to reports, flowers worth around ₹2.5 lakh were brought from Karnataka and other places for the fundraising effort. The youngsters are taking turns managing the stalls and interacting with customers, while the community is encouraging people to purchase flowers and payasam as a way of contributing to the cause.
The organisers have said that the money collected through the initiative will be used for Sreedevina’s treatment. By connecting the fundraiser with familiar Onam traditions, they have created a simple way for people to participate while helping a student from their own community.
Treatment Carries Heavy Costs
Sreedevina’s medical condition has placed a substantial financial strain on her family. She reportedly requires dialysis three times a week, while her kidney transplant and subsequent treatment could cost around ₹30 lakh.
For a financially weak family, raising such a large amount can be extremely difficult, particularly when treatment involves recurring medical expenses. The fundraising campaign has therefore become an important attempt to mobilise support from people in and around Chala.
The campaign is not only receiving support from the youngsters directly involved. Residents and traders have also joined the initiative, with people taking turns to operate the stalls and contribute in different ways. Payasam sales have been added to the flower sales, giving people another opportunity to support the campaign during the festive season.
Reports have also mentioned residents expressing willingness to donate a kidney to Sreedevina. However, any organ donation would have to meet medical requirements and comply with the applicable legal and transplant procedures. Such expressions of support should therefore not be interpreted as confirmation of a transplant arrangement.
Community Rallies Behind Student
The fundraiser comes as members of the local community have come together to support a young student facing a serious health challenge. The campaign has reportedly involved people across different sections of Chala, with youngsters, residents and traders contributing their time and resources.
A local resident was quoted as saying that the effort had brought people together without distinctions of caste, religion or politics, with the focus remaining on helping the student. The statement reflects the broader community participation behind the fundraiser.
The initiative also demonstrates the role that local networks can play when families face large and immediate healthcare expenses. While a community fundraiser cannot by itself resolve the wider challenge of medical affordability, collective contributions can help families manage some of the financial pressure associated with prolonged treatment.
For Sreedevina, the campaign has also meant that her classmates and neighbours are actively standing beside her during a difficult period of her life.
Onam Takes Different Meaning
Onam is traditionally associated with family gatherings, flowers, food and community celebrations. In Chala this year, those same traditions have been adapted into a fundraising effort for a young girl who needs expensive medical treatment.
Every flower purchased and every cup of payasam sold through the initiative becomes part of a larger effort to support Sreedevina. The approach allows people who may not be able to make a large individual donation to contribute through something already associated with their festive celebrations.
The story also draws attention to the financial challenges that families can face when serious illnesses require long-term or specialised treatment. For families with limited resources, the cost of healthcare can become an additional source of uncertainty alongside the illness itself.
The youngsters’ response, however, has focused on what they can do immediately: bring people together, create a fundraising mechanism and use the occasion of Onam to generate support.
The Logical Indian Perspective
The effort in Chala offers a meaningful reminder that festivals can be about more than celebration. By turning flower and payasam sales into a fundraiser, these youngsters have chosen to use a familiar part of Onam to support a classmate facing a difficult medical journey.
Their initiative is rooted in empathy and community spirit. It also shows the value of collective action: a small contribution from many people can become meaningful support for someone facing an otherwise overwhelming challenge.
At the same time, Sreedevina’s case highlights the difficult reality of families having to find substantial sums for essential healthcare. Community solidarity can provide crucial support, but access to life-saving treatment should not depend solely on whether a family can mobilise a neighbourhood.
As Onam approaches, the youngsters of Chala have given their celebrations a different purpose — using what they already have to help someone who needs support. What can we learn from communities that choose to turn moments of celebration into opportunities for compassion?
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