Simple Comforts

Throughout her childhood, Anushka Sikdar spent summers in her family’s home country of India watching her grandmother sew blankets for her cousin, who was fighting cancer. Spending a lot of time in the cancer ward of the hospital, she began to pick up the practice; as she grew older, she began to see the potential her newfound hobby could have for her community back in Mobile.

Before finishing the eighth grade, she began sewing pillows and donating them to local hospitals in Mobile. With a small amount of paperwork and her parent’s signature, she had created her own company called Light The Way. So far Sikdar, now 16 and a sophomore at Alabama School of Math and Science, has donated over 50 pillows to the Mitchell Cancer Institute.

The name Light The Way came to be when Sikdar witnessed the faces of the patients who were receiving her pillows light up with joy.

“It’s illuminating their lives,” she said.

Now with a company title, Sikdar is able to host events, fund raisers and fabric drives with the help of her community. She describes it as “a project for the community, by the community.” Sikdar works with multiple groups throughout Mobile to help fund and create her business, a few being Girl Scouts, 4H, Beta Club and Key Club.

Living the busy life of a teenager, Sikdar says time management is key to keeping her company successful. She spends two to three hours every Friday afternoon prioritizing and planning her any upcoming “pillow parties,” where she meets with groups to sew or distribute the pillows. The company is a top priority in her life. She can see the difference it is making in her community and refuses to let that go to waste.

This company has a very special place in Sikdar’s heart, from dealing with losing her cousin to cancer and seeing the effect it has on a family, she wants to make a difference in those people’s lives, even if it is as small as a pillow and a conversation.

The sense of community that Sikdar has built throughout this process is unshakable. She is

determined to make a name for herself in Mobile.

“I want to take care of my home and focus on making the Mobile community better before thinking about expanding.”

Though she does plan to stay on home turf, she expects her company assets to grow during her college years by creating an app and gaining more publicity in surrounding areas.

Sikdar repeatedly mentioned how important her company motives are to her. The message her company is sending to the families suffering from cancer is one that can make all the difference in their lives. Knowing that she is giving a sense of comfort to these families is what makes it all worth it.

“Giving these patients and their families a handmade pillow is like saying, ‘Hey I’ve got your back; we are here for you.’ It strengthens the fiber of our community,” she said. Sikdar has created a GoFundMe page (“Light the Way”) for her company to help raise funds to keep her business going. All donations are used to help buy materials for the pillows and for distribution events.

Link to the original article: https://jagmedia.org/home/the-vanguard/due-south/