Pooja Dusad is today the chief educator of Udaan . A sensitive woman , always ready to teach and learn , she is loved by old and young alike !
What is less known about her is resilience and tenacity of purpose that has brought her where she is today .
Her journey started as a young girl who was brilliant in school . She worked to become a doctor with excellent academic performance till class 12 th science.
How ever, her conservative family married her off at a tender age of 19 .
Her dreams of a career were wrapped and stored inside her as she became an efficient housewife. The consolation was that her husband was a loving and supportive partner. Very quickly , she became a mother.. a daughter and then a son. She would read and try small free lance jobs on the side to contribute financially but her main focus was bringing up children well by now.
Life was all about being a mother till one day her daughter who was 9 yes old then fell Ill . She was diagnosed with Type1Diabetes. Pooja’s world shattered. She fought the social stigma and non scientific advises in search for comprehensive care. She did not stop running pillar to post in Aurangabad till she reached UDAAN.
Pooja came to UDAAN as a mother. A sincere mom who would sit in all teaching sessions with a diary and take notes. In every class she had a list of questions and feed backs and sensible ones too. She would parallely carry out her own research and come with doubts .
A quiet , respectful and stoic mother she was .
UDAAN ‘s founder Dr. Archana saw her wonderful spark and observed her closely over time. Seeing her dedication and scientific acumen, she was asked if she would like to volunteer at UDAAN. Not only did Pooja volunteer but she pioneered a new chapter in UDAAN’s care system.
Pooja as a mother of two with one child with Type1Diabetes became UDAANs first D mom to become D coach. She helped curate the D mom to D coach program.
At the same time , her hunger for knowledge led her to do bachelors in social work and certified diabetes educator courses .
Armed with degrees now, what made her stand apart was her empathy that remained the same for every child. When Pooja answers a helpline even in middle of the night, one can feel her care and concern.
Today , 10 years later , Pooja is pursuing her masters, she is the chief educator at UDAAN . She mentors the Dmom to D coach program and trains the volunteers for helplines. She is ‘ Pooja Tai ‘ to one and all. 10 years have passed and she still has tears in her eyes when ever a child suffers.
Her daughter Ishika is now 19 and is in college.
Pooja , A sensitive and strong woman, UDAAN salutes you.
We wish strength to you and your dreams !