The Children's Neurological Center - JFK Medical Center

T
he late Dr. Girija N. Roy,
a prominent Scotch Plains veterinarian
and community activist,
viewed the achievement of professional
success as an obligation to his family, and
helping the less fortunate as an obligation
to his faith—a greater obligation, and one
that guided his 64 years on earth.
Encapsulated in the Hindi word “seva,”
Dr. Roy dedicated his life to serving others.
“Whether it was service to family, friends,
clients or the community, Papa touched
and improved countless lives in so many
different ways,” said his son, Pryia Roy.
That is why his family decided that the
best way to honor his memory would be to
perpetuate his charitable legacy, while also
honoring an institution that shared his
passion for giving. On the first anniversary
of his passing, in January 2007, the Roy
family along with friends donated $50,001
to JFK Medical Center’s cancer program.
Born in a rural village in Bihar, India,
Dr. Roy immigrated to the United States
in 1971 with about $10 in his pocket and
dreams of new opportunity. He made a
TouchingLives
Roy Family Honors
Father’s Memory and Legacy
$50,001 Gift Advances Cancer Care at JFK Medical Center
Left to right: Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., Edison Mayor Jun
Choi and Dr. Sudhanshu Prasad.
6 | SPRING 2007
home in Central New Jersey, where he
opened three animal hospitals and practiced
veterinary medicine for 27 years.
Dr. Roy’s allegiance to the profession was
complemented by a social responsibility to
both his homeland and local communities.
He was President of BJANA, an Indian
service organization, and active in numerous
other Hindi causes, while also aiding the
American Red Cross, Rotary International
and various humanitarian efforts. His sons
proudly recall him raising money to help
the sick and underserved abroad, and
treating rescue dogs at the World Trade
Center following the tragedy of September
11. Dr. Roy was extraordinarily generous
in all facets of his life, so it was only fitting
that he received the same compassionate
care during his own family’s time of need.
When Dr. Roy was diagnosed with
cancer, his family traveled to the most
prestigious health care institutions in the
country. “Yet we found that the medical
care provided by a hospital only five miles
from our home far surpassed the care he
received at the more famous institutions,”
“
Don’t wait
until someone is
sick to come into
the hospital…
Come inside now
and make
”
a difference.
—Mukesh Roy—
stated Pryia Roy. “The doctors, nurses and
every member of the JFK Medical Center
staff treated my father with the utmost
compassion and respect, and treated our
family as part of their own. They truly
exemplified seva.”
For months, the Roy family thought of the
hospital as their second home, spending
every day and evening by their loved one’s
side. They forged relationships with the
nurses on all shifts, touched by their
consistent acts of kindness.
“They made us feel special,” asserted Mr.
Roy. “That’s why we wanted to give something
back to the hospital and other
patients in hope that their experiences
will be similar to ours, and that we can
contribute to improving cancer care for
families in our community.”
The gift of $50,001 was earmarked for
enhancements to the medical center’s
outpatient Infusion Center, including
additional chairs and amenities for
chemotherapy patients as well as advanced
technologies for diagnosing and treating
cancer.