Key Points
- Prerna Pahwa, 39, arrived from Australia as an international student in 2003.
- Her not-for-profit, 'Simply Human Inc - Superheroes Without Capes', organises drives to help those in need find a bone marrow donor match.
- Ms Pahwa says there is a lot of ignorance about cancer and bone marrow transplants in the South Asian and South East Asian communities.
- She is a recipient of such accolades as the Young Community Achiever Award 2016, Brisbane Lord Mayor's Australia Day Achievement Award 2019 and the Local Legends Award 2020.
In 2009, Ms Pahwa's cousin in India was diagnosed with blood cancer.
"I was heartbroken. My 'sister' was young, full of life and we were very close. I saw how my family struggled emotionally during this time," the Queensland-based IT specialist recalled.
After her cousin lost her battle with the disease, Ms Pahwa felt the need to step out of her comfort zone and act, so she began volunteering.
"I joined many organisations including the Cancer Foundation to do my bit. And it was during this time I came to know about Ujwal Poudel, who was a newly arrived international student from Nepal," she said.
Prerna Pahwa runs an NGO called 'Simply Humans - Superheros Without Capes'. Credit: Prerna Pahwa
"I really wanted to help him. So I, along with a few friends, aggressively started a campaign to raise funds for his bone marrow transplant," she said.
Prerna Pahwa (R) receiving an award for her community work. Credit: Prerna Pahwa
"We left no stone unturned and we managed to raise over $88,000 for Mr Ujwal's treatment," she added.
But a bigger challenge lay ahead and that was finding a matching bone marrow donor.
"There was no 100 per cent match for Mr Ujwal. So we tried every bone marrow registry all over the world, but still no match was found," Ms Pahwa said.
Finally, Mr Ujwal's sister, as the closest match, saved his life by donating her bone marrow. Mr Ujwal is now in remission following the transplant.
'Bridging the health gap'
Through the campaign, Ms Pahwa learned about the difficulties associated with getting treatment as well as the 'huge ignorance' surrounding bone marrow transplants, especially in the South Asian community in Australia.
"A person's ethnic background has a big impact on finding a match," she said.
The more South Asians are aware of the need, the greater the chances of finding a match.
Ujwal Poudel (second from left) standing next to Prerna Pahwa at an event. Credit: Prerna Pahwa
"Language is one of the biggest barriers," she pointed out.
In an effort to help more people access support in their first language and create awareness, Ms Pahwa started a not-for-profit, 'Simply Human: Superheroes Without Capes.'
Today, it not only helps people impacted by cancer but has a database of almost 500 registered bone marrow donors.
Prerna Pahwa with her niece Idhika. Credit: Prerna Pahwa
"Fortunately, Sharon does not need funds, but she does need a bone marrow donor which is a bigger challenge as she was born to Sri Lankan Burgher parents," Ms Pahwa said.
Australia has one of the highest transplanting rates in the world, comparable to many European countries like the UK and yet its donor recruitment lags far behind, according to the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR).
"Sharon has been trying to find a match for seven years now, we are hoping our next bone marrow drive in March can help," she commented.
Just as she is motivated by the memory of her cousin's struggles with cancer, Ms Pahwa draws inspiration from her parents and the people she helps and works with.
“The greatest support that I have had along the way has been my team I work with, and by god's grace they’ve been great," she said.
Feeding the homeless
Ms Pahwa's not-for-profit has over 25 volunteers, and a few of the team members also operate a restaurant in Brisbane's Camp Hill.
With two of her friends and a sister, she started a food business to serve Indian dishes in 2018.
Prerna Pahwa operates an Indian restaurant in Queensland with two partners. The restaurant is an all-female endeavour. Credit: Prerna Pahwa
"I am a hardcore foodie and in my initial days in Brisbane, I was desperately looking for good Indian food around the city. So I decided to set up my own restaurant which today serves food to homeless people," she adds.
"Every month, we aim to deliver around 100 hot meal boxes to homeless people, through a couple of organisations," she said.
Next mission
The restaurant not only serves a social cause, but it also has an eco-friendly purpose.
"We do not use plastics in our restaurant," Ms Pahwa.
For her next goal, Ms Pahwa is all set to kick off another online venture offering a range of eco-friendly products.
"My next mission is to create awareness regarding sustainability and drive important long-term behaviour change around reducing plastics and waste,” she said.
With community close to her heart, Ms Pahwa has found her purpose here in Australia.
