Photos: Bollywood actors Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza spread cheer among children with cancer

Bollywood celebrity couple Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza paid it forward this 20th International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) on February 15 by visiting a hospital in Mumbai to meet young cancer warriors.

The actors were spotted at the paediatric ward of the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai on February 15 and were on call to motivate the children while spreading cheer.

International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) is observed on February 15 with the purpose of spreading awareness about the high curability of childhood cancer. It’s celebrated every year to pay tribute and honour those battling the disease and all those cancer warriors who lost their lives.

Apart from boosting the morale of the young cancer warriors, the couple were spotted handing out candy to the brave young patients. The stars also posed for several pictures with the young heroes.

It’s not the first time that this celebrity couple has thrown their weight behind a good cause. They famously gave up meat, black coffee and aerated drinks after they pledged to donate their organs.

In July 2020 on the occasion of National Doctor’s Day, the couple urged everyone to opt for an organ donation. “Aaj 1st July ko hum ye kehna chahte hain aur aapko ye batana chaahte hain ki hum dono ne ek pledge liya hai (Today, on July 1 we want to tell you about something that we have pledged), we have decided to donate our organs,” said Deshmukh in a video, also featuring his wife. She chimed in with: “Yes, we pledge have pledged to donate our organs and for us there’s no better gift than the gift of life.”

As soon as they made their life-altering decision known to their fans, India’s Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan lauded the couple for making such a selfless call. He took to Twitter to share the video of the actors where they are seen taking the pledge to donate their organs and encouraging others to do so. “It feels so good when I see young actors like dynamic @Riteishd & beautiful @geneliad endorsing #organdonation,” tweeted Vardhan.

The couple is also big on promoting veganism. Recently, they launched a company called ‘Imagine Meats’ focussing on plant-based meat products. They joined hands with the Indian arm of global non-profit organisation The Good Food Institute (GFI) that promotes plant-based alternatives to meat, dairy and eggs.

Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh during the birthday party of Taimur Ali Khan, at Bandra in Mumbai