A volunteer's story about overcoming his premature birth
Posted by christina
We are always honored when we get enthusiastic emails of support. One volunteer’s story touched many of us at Embrace. He wanted to help other babies that faced similar circumstances as himself, and threw an amazing fundraiser for Embrace in Mission Viejo, CA. We are proud that he will be attending the University of California, Berkeley (my alma mater!) this fall. Congrats Paras!!
Paras shares his story below.
It began with an idea. A simple desire to effect a change, to forge an impact, to embrace the problem and create a solution. As I sat in front of the television, the first fragments came to me—and over the course of six months—those fragments materialized into an event larger than anything I could have dreamed up. The program was an ABC 20/20 special “Be the Change Save a Life” and it spoke of the plethora of problems faced by millions of people on every continent and every nation, then presented innovative solutions to these problems. The story that truly hit home for me was a tale of hope via Embrace for thousands of premature babies born every year across the globe. They often die within their first few months of life simply because they are too small to keep themselves warm.
I had an instant connection to the vital work that the Embrace team is doing. You see, I was born three months premature, weighing one pound, six ounces. I remained in the hospital for 110 days and am now legally blind as a result. I cannot imagine the plethora of emotions my parents felt at my birth. In Sanskrit, Paras means “Remover of Obstacles.” Unsure if I would live or die, they had faith that I could overcome. Time and time again, I have proven doctors wrong and accomplished what they said would be impossible. The doctors told my parents I had little to no chance at a “normal’ life. They told my father when I was a kid that I would never ride a bike. My father, determined that his son could do anything in life, bought me an apple-red bicycle. Three months later, I rode that bike around my neighborhood.
I contacted Embrace and reached out to my local city community and school, and within three months, we knew we had something special. I assembled a team and together we began to brainstorm ideas for an event, “Embrace the Talent”. The event would be a comedy night and talent show, which would highlight acts from the local area. Throughout the successive three months we gathered numerous acts, and gained sponsorships from various companies. On Monday June 27th 2011, the fruits of our labor were visible as over 150 people, including the mayor, gathered in the local Community Center to enjoy the event. In total, “Embrace the Talent” raised $3,029.10 all of which will go directly to saving the lives of premature infants.
As I look forward to the next four years at the UC Berkeley, I am reminded of what Robert Kennedy once said, “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” That is advice I will certainly embrace, as I continue to live my life in the spirit of service.
