HEARTLINE PROJECT

Giving Every Child a Chance at Life

From one heartbreaking loss to a legacy that has saved 806 young lives.

In 1998, a young life was lost—not because a cure was unavailable, but because the resources needed to reach that cure could not be raised in time.

That loss became the catalyst for something extraordinary.

Under the leadership of PRIP Raja Saboo, Rotary Club Chandigarh transformed grief into action with a simple but profound mission:

“No child should die for want of money.”

What began as Rotary Gift of Life has evolved into the Rotary Heartline Project—a continuing humanitarian initiative that has helped provide life-saving cardiac treatment to children from India and countries across the world.

❤️ THE HEART OF THE PROJECT

A young man was awaiting heart surgery at PGIMER, Chandigarh. Rotary and Inner Wheel members had begun raising funds for his treatment, but before sufficient resources could be arranged, he tragically passed away.

The incident prompted Rotarians to seek answers.

Conversations with the Director of PGIMER and cardiac surgeons revealed that this was not an isolated tragedy. Every year, many children requiring heart surgery came from families who simply could not afford the treatment. Some never returned to the hospital because the financial burden was beyond their means.

For the Rotarians, that reality was impossible to ignore.

On 7 May 1998, an idea was born: create a sustainable programme through which children could receive the treatment they desperately needed—regardless of their family's financial circumstances.

And so, Rotary Gift of Life began.

806+ HEARTS TO A NEW BEGINNING

806

Children whose lives have been saved through the project

160+

Children helped from countries outside India

1998

The year the journey began

25+ YEARS

Of continuing humanitarian service

Multiple Countries

Including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Nepal, Mongolia and parts of Africa

Every number represents a child, a family and a future restored.

A JOURNEY OF HOPE

1998 — The Beginning

On 7 May 1998, Rotary Club Chandigarh launched the Gift of Life initiative with the mission that no child should lose their life because their family could not afford heart surgery.

1998–2000 — Building the First Lifeline

A US$100,000 two-year project was conceived to support approximately 40 children.

A US$50,000 Rotary Foundation Matching Grant was secured, with additional support from Rotary districts and international Rotary partners.

PGIMER — A Partnership for Life

Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, became the project's principal medical partner.

PGIMER provided the surgeries and hospitalization, while Rotary helped meet the costs of essential medical supplies, heart valves and other treatment requirements. Children also received medicines for several months following surgery.

2004 — 100 Lives and Beyond

Through the generosity of Rotarians, philanthropists and community supporters, the project had helped save approximately 100 children's lives by 2004.

The project had also begun reaching beyond India's borders, bringing children from neighbouring countries to Chandigarh for treatment.

The Moment That Defined the Mission

At the celebration of the project's 100th surgery, the father of a child from Pakistan expressed the spirit of Heartline in a few unforgettable words:

“The child was born in Pakistan, but got life in India.”

Those words captured what Rotary believed from the beginning—that compassion knows no borders.

Gift of Life Becomes Heartline

As the initiative grew and continued, Rotary Gift of Life was rechristened the Rotary Heartline Project.

The name changed, but the mission remained the same: to give children the chance to live, grow and dream.

2004–Present — A Continuing Commitment

With continued support from Rotarians, Rotary grants, philanthropists and the wider community, Heartline has gone on to help children from India and countries across Asia and Africa.

Today — 806 Lives and Counting

The project has successfully supported life-saving cardiac treatment for 806 children, including more than 160 children from countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Nepal, Mongolia and parts of Africa.

And the journey continues.

BEYOND A SURGERY

Heartline is not simply about performing an operation.

It is about what happens after the operation.

It is the child returning home.

The parent hearing their child's heartbeat.

The family planning for a future they once feared they would never see.

It is a young life given the opportunity to go to school, make friends, pursue a career, build a family and contribute to society.

A successful surgery may take hours.
The life it gives back can last a lifetime.

LEGACY & IMPACT

A legacy measured in lives—not just numbers.

Over the years, Heartline has grown from a local humanitarian response into a project with an international reach.

Saving Lives

Children born with serious cardiac conditions have received access to treatment that their families could not otherwise afford.

Crossing Borders

The project has extended its humanitarian reach to children from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Nepal, Mongolia and parts of Africa, demonstrating that the value of a child's life transcends nationality and borders.

Bringing Hope to Families

For parents, Heartline has meant more than financial assistance. It has meant hope at a moment when hope was often in short supply.

Building Partnerships

The project's impact has been made possible through collaboration among Rotarians, the Rotary Foundation, PGIMER, philanthropists, community supporters and international Rotary partners.

Turning Compassion into Action

Heartline demonstrates how one deeply personal tragedy can inspire a sustainable humanitarian movement—one that continues to touch lives decades later.

THE HEARTLINE LEGACY

One tragedy sparked a question.

One question inspired an idea.

One idea became a movement.

And that movement has given 806 children another chance at life.

The Heartline Project stands as a testament to what can happen when compassion is organized, partnerships are built and people refuse to accept that poverty should determine who gets to live.

For more than two decades, Rotarians and their partners have continued to put Service Above Self into action—one child, one heart and one family at a time.

Because every heartbeat deserves a chance.

ROTARY CLUB CHANDIGARH

Heartline Project
Earlier known as Rotary Gift of Life

Saving hearts. Restoring hope. Giving life a future.