In early November, Memory & Movement Charlotte received several donations in honor of Kalpana Daryanani, who didn’t seem to be connected to the practice in any obvious way.

So we called one of the donors, who led us to Kalpana, and a very special Diwali celebration.

Diwali is a Hindu festival of light over shadows, and over spiritual darkness. It’s one of the most important holidays of the year, and Kalpana and her family celebrated with generosity.

This year at her annual Diwali get-together, Kalpana asked her guests not to bring hostess gifts. Instead, she requested they share their light by donating to a cause they care about – and she included Memory & Movement Charlotte on her invitations as a suggestion. Kalpana’s uncles lived with Parkinson’s disease, and she watched caregivers in her own family struggle. Her personal journey as a caregiver helped her understand that caregivers need care along with patients. She became aware of Memory & Movement Charlotte a few years ago, when Dr. Aris Chaconas was her neighbor. They often walked their dogs together and talked about MMC’s programs specifically to support and educate caregivers.

Kalpana was moved to help others through financial support. “There’s something universal about the caregiver experience, and I’m glad to introduce MMC to friends and family, and to support anyone living through this journey. We can all shine some light on others this holiday season.”

Would you like to host a fundraiser?

It’s simple to do, and we’re grateful and happy to help. Simply direct your guests to mmclt.org/donate, and ask them to note in the comment box that you’ve suggested they give. We will acknowledge every gift to the donor for tax purposes, and then send you a list of names and addresses in case you’d like to extend a thank you as well.

For assistance, reach out to Melanie Baron, Director of Community Engagement and Development, at mbaron@mmclt.org