The GOSH dad building a legacy for his daughters by supporting the hospital school
9 Sep 2024, 9:53 a.m.
Pictured left to right: William (Assistant Headteacher), Ann (GOSH Charity), Tripti Das, Sarah (Leading Practitioner), Emeritus Professor Michael Dillon, Robin Das and Lauren (Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Charity)
Sisters Ratna and Heera both died in their early thirties following complications from an autoimmune disease.
Now, their parents, Robin and Tripti, are building a legacy for them by supporting the GOSH School.
The hospital school teaches around 1,100 patients at GOSH each year, providing an important sense of normality for seriously ill children while they receive treatment.
Robin has also decided to leave a gift in his Will to honour Ratna and Heera.
“They lived a short life, but their names will live a longer one,” he says.
'Forever grateful'
Ratna and Heera were both treated at GOSH for a chronic kidney disorder, and Ratna attended the GOSH School while she was a patient.
Robin an Tripti recently funded furniture, equipment and a range of books for the school. These donations were very gratefully received by the teachers and will ensure patients continue to receive an outstanding education.
“I’m forever grateful to everyone who has been involved with the care that my two daughters received over the years, especially those who are still caring for people today. They still remember Ratna and Heera,” Robin says.
“Being able to give something that will benefit the staff and students here is important for me, especially after the compassion and treatment we received.”
‘Their achievements were remarkable’
The sisters were both academically gifted, with Ratna becoming an honorary lecturer for the kidney research education initiative at City University, following her master’s degree in molecular biology. She continued to champion better renal care education until her death in 2013.
Heera was also talented, picking up a number of ballet awards and scholarship offers from a very young age. But, as a linguist at heart, she was proud to complete an honours degree in linguistics, followed by a master’s degree in speech and hearing. Heera died in 2017 while she was reaching the completion of her PhD in speech science.
Heera (left) and Ratna (right)
Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Nephrology, Michael Dillon, was a consultant at GOSH for many years and was directly involved with Ratna and Heera’s care.
“I would like to emphasise my admiration for the way both girls handled their life-threatening disease with bravery and dignity, determined, in spite of it, to make a success of their lives,” he says.
“They were lovely children, and their achievements were remarkable, bearing in mind the circumstances. It's tragic that their lives were eventually cut short as young adults in spite of the excellent care they received at the Royal Free Hospital after outgrowing attendance at GOSH. They were wonderfully supported throughout their short lives by their parents.”
John Blackburn, a former Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster, knew Ratna and Heera.
He says they were both “wonderful, intelligent and beautiful young women hoping to make this a better world".
“Both were very intelligent, hard-working and enthusiastic about life, but above all funny and a pleasure to be with,” he says.
A lasting impact
The contribution the Das family has made in support of the GOSH School will have a lasting impact on the students and staff. And by leaving a gift in his Will, Robin will help many other children and families at GOSH who face the same incredibly difficult journey that his family did.