“The loss of a parent can never be replaced, but the love of a parent can never be lost.” – Author unknown
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to provide support and empower young children of North Texas who have suffered a tragic loss of a parent by sudden and unforeseen circumstances.
OUR VISION
Our vision is to aid grief-stricken children through the collaboration and cooperation of local community and business groups, in building a network of support, to assuage the loss and strengthen the physical, emotional, and social well-being for these kids to succeed.
LETTER FROM DR LEENA SHARAN
On February 11, 2010, while vacationing Vinod Sharan died suddenly due to cardiac arrest. He was only 39 years old. He was a wonderful father of 3 beautiful, young children. He was my loving husband. Vinod is this foundation’s namesake, but more importantly, it exists so that I can remember him and preserve his memory for our children.
Obviously, Vinod’s passing was a great tragedy for me and a shock to our family and friends; however, the insurmountable grief lay even more heavily upon our kids. How will this loss affect them? How will they understand their father is gone? Will this be the end of their childhood? As an adult, I am able to share my sorrow and process the loss, but how does a child come to terms with their pain or communicate their anguish? What can I do to make them feel safe and secure? What can I do to support them? What can I do to strengthen them to face this challenge and fulfill their dreams? These thoughts have and still preoccupy me. Through my own experience, the death of a parent can be hugely traumatic and can permanently scar a child for years. I lost my father at a young age. I had to deal with feelings of insecurity, isolation, and confusion. Fortunately, I was lucky then and now to have the support of family and friends. It has not always been easy. It is a daily, ongoing challenge, but that is what energizes me. There is still work to be done and I am determined to persevere!
The Vinod Sharan Foundation was conceived for young children who have lost a parent, because they need every assistance and encouragement that we can provide to make it much more likely for them to succeed. We focus on bringing these kids together to participate in various, personalized social activities that will offer them emotional support in order to bring them a sense of belonging. We also provide scholarships and grants tailored to meet individual special needs. In some small measure, we hope to support young kids in their time of grief, to make them feel normal, and empower them to thrive in the face of tragedy.
I invite you to support the Vinod Sharan Foundation and make a difference in the lives of children faced with an unfortunate and unexpected loss of a parent.
Leena Sharan, MD
