The Hemang N. Bhatt Legacy Fund was established by his youngest daughter, Mana Bhatt Sanghvi, to deliver a commitment she made to her beloved Dad in their final Christmas together: to invest in progress towards finding a cure for PSP. With this fund, Hemang’s family honors him by extending the impact he had on so many throughout his lifetime.

Hemang was born on February 19th, 1943 in Mumbai, India. From his teenage years, he was known in his community as a visionary young man, who always challenged “what could be,” to create a more fruitful path of “what would be,” through his hard work and determination.

Always a pioneer, he was the first in his family to leave India and fly on an airplane to make a life for his future family in NY in 1967. Coming from little to no money, he worked at a factory, lifting boxes, to pay for graduate school.

In time, he channeled his entrepreneurial spirit by building a company from the ground up. With every milestone of progress, he would send funds back to India to support family members.

But his desire to give back expanded far beyond that. For years, he led his community as President of the Indian-American Association in Princeton, NJ. He was always passionate about helping his fellow immigrants feel a sense of home and belonging so far from their roots in India.

Amongst all of Hemang’s accomplishments, he was most proud of the life he built with his wife, Rudra, for their three daughters, to grow up with opportunities unattainable for prior generations. It’s with that dedication and love that they were able to send their girls to college in America debt-free. He was proud to be living the American dream as they knew it.

Hemang was indeed ambitious, innovative, and incredibly talented musically, but he was known most for his generous heart and passion for life. When he walked into a room, his presence was felt immediately. His ability to connect with both the oldest and youngest souls surrounding him was a rare gift, making him the life and joy of any party.  His jovial, jolly spirit was one of his most prized qualities, making laughter a critical sound that accompanied his presence everywhere.

PSP is a cruel disease, and when he was diagnosed he slowly lost the ability to deliver that booming laugh, undeniable warmth through his hugs and smiles, and charming wit shared through his humor and intellect. He was eventually forced to use tears and inaudible sounds to convey the emotion of his always strong, passionate heart through which he continued to emit love and expression until his last days.

In our final years with him, we made the commitment to help support families experiencing the seemingly hopeless journey that comes with a PSP or neighboring neurodegenerative diagnosis.

It is with pride and honor that we present the Hemang N. Bhatt Legacy Fund, to drive impact through focused research around PSP.   We aspire to advance progress in developing the science for a cure so that his suffering will have led to a greater purpose.  May this fund, in honor of our Dad, husband, Nana (grandpa), contribute to a better future for patients and families in generations to come. 

Because hope matters...

With hearts of love and gratitude,

Rudra, Anar, Raina, Mana, Parag, Sahil, Nysa, Krisha, Naaya, Syan, and Inara