Dubai: An Indian influencer in Dubai with more than 1.7 million followers on Instagram has asked her friends not to gift anything for her baby shower or after the birth of her child. Instead, she has asked her friends and family to donate to a charity in India, for that, she said, is more gratifying than any gift can give her.
Niki Shah, 34, and who is 36 weeks pregnant with her first child had a baby shower on Saturday at a restaurant at the Al Quoz Pond park. There were clear instructions for family and friends attending to not come with gifts.
The invite
The invite read: “A baby is blooming. Please join us to celebrate Niki & Hardik’s baby shower… To mark the occassion, lets gift the ones in need ..” Shah also posted a link to the charity on the invite.
“The same rule applies when the baby is born. My family and I are requesting everyone to donate for a local charity we have tied up with,” said Shah.
Healthcare for underprivileged
The guests arrived without gifts but will contribute to an charity in the Indian state of Gujarat. “All the contributions will go to Shrimad Rajchandra Hospital and Research centre in Dharampur. It is a 250-bed charitable institute serving the underprivileged rural populations of South Gujarat,” she said. The hospital was recently inaugurated by Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
Playing her part
Shah, whose baby is due at the end of the month, said that one of the main reasons for this cause is that charity is close to her heart. “There are demographic challenges in India and I want to address that in my personal capacity. Back in the city of Dharampur, the incidence of premature deliveries and high-risk pregnancies is significant. The Shrimad Rajchandra Hospital and Research Centre has developed a truly holistic approach to high-quality maternal care. I hope that with this we are able to make a small difference for the good of my people back home.”
Preserving her baby’s stem cells
The mother to be has also decided to freeze her baby’s stem cells at birth as they are key to more than 80 life-changing treatments.
“When I started my research on which cord blood bank to depend on, I started looking into factors like their experience in transplant, company’s stability and insurance programme. Most importantly it was about the accreditation and reputation of the firm,” said Shah. She has therefore decided to register with a company she felt most comfortable with.
