MORE THAN £18,000 has been raised for a Wokingham family after the sudden loss of their Dad in late February.
Husband and father, Prashant Singh died suddenly when he was on a trip to India. Without warning, Mr Singh collapsed with a pain in his back. He was then rushed to hospital for open heart surgery.
But 10 hours later, the 44-year-old passed away — coming as a horrific shock to his family and close friends.
Mr Singh’s close friend, Sona Olikara set up a GoFundMe page to support the family after his tragic death.
He said: “I have known Prashant for the last 13 years, he was my closest friend. He had been in the UK for more than 15 years now, but our roots are in India.
“I met him when he was on an assignment with British Petroleum and that’s how our friendship evolved.
“His death came as such a massive shock. This happened a couple of weeks before the whole lockdown situation.
“In late February, the kids had a school term break and Prashant wanted to go and visit his elderly mother in India.
“Just one day before he returned to the UK, he was walking from his room to the living room and suddenly collapsed.
“He was in a state of shock and they found his pulse was weak. He was rushed to the hospital where he had a 10-hour open heart surgery, and unfortunately passed away.
“It was so shocking to everyone because Prashant was super healthy and super fit. He was very active. He was a certified yoga instructor, and was the sole breadwinner for the family.”
Mr Singh’s family and close friends said they have been humbled by the donations, which have already reached £17,000.
Mr Olikara added: “That’s when me and our friends thought that we had to do something for the family.”
Mr Singh has lived in Wokingham for the past six years with his wife, and young daughter.
“He’s been very active in the town and did a lot of local activities,” added Mr Olikara.
“He used to play badminton every week so a lot of people have reached out saying they want to do something for Prashant.
“So we started this campaign for the family for like-minded people to use the opportunity to support the family.
“We’re brilliantly pleased with the money raised so far. I never had a figure in mind but we want to ensure we could gather some funds for the family.
“I think the reason why so many have kindly donated is because so many have a fond memory of him. He was such a helpful person which has led to so many people supporting the cause.
“We never thought it would go so wide, we’ve been so impressed by the amount of people supporting, not just in the UK, but also in the USA and India — where donations have come in from, that’s the power of social media.
“2020 has been a horrible year for everybody, so people are able to associate with the cause on a personal level because they themselves are going through a difficult time and want to support others.”
To find out more about Mr Singh or to donate, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/financial-support-for-prashant-singh-family
