“So Many Have Died In My Arms. Life Is Unpredictable & I Want To Spend Every Second Of My Life Helping Others”

“As my car somersaulted, I thought to myself — if I die now, where will I go? I thought that would be the end for me. I closed my eyes to pray thinking that those were my last moments, but by some miracle, I was absolutely fine. I was only 19, and had survived an accident that made my car somersault thrice, without a single scratch on my body. That’s the day the purpose of my life changed completely.

I kept wondering why God had saved me and what my purpose was. But soon enough I realised that I was given a second chance to help people. Everywhere I went after that, all I saw were helpless people on the road, especially old people who no one wanted to take in. All I saw was injustice.

Two months after my accident, I was passing by the railway station and I saw an old woman with wounds and maggots on her body. My heart broke. I knew she deserved a second chance just like me and I took her to the hospital. They refused to treat her until her maggots were removed, so I did that myself. I then took a video of her and shared it on social media. Soon, her family found her! It was such a joyful moment. That’s when I decided to start Second Chance Foundation.

It’s been seven years since that, and I haven’t looked back. But all of this hasn’t been without its fair share of challenges and heartbreaks. I have seen several deaths, and many of them have even died in my arms. I’ve conducted their last rites too. It never gets easier, but all I want to do is ensure they’re taken care of even during their last days.

There have been days when we’ve struggled to provide our residents with the food they deserve. And that’s when Donatekart came to the rescue. Through our fundraiser, we were able to continue giving them nutritious meals. The pandemic was another hurdle. I lost a very dear friend to the virus. He died because he couldn’t get oxygen. He was just 32, he had his whole life ahead of him, but now he’s gone.

I’ve learnt that life can be very unpredictable, but I believe that every day is an opportunity to help someone in need. And I’m so blessed to be able to do that.”

- Jasper Paul, Founder, Second Chance Foundation