WRITTEN BY: PARINITA GUPTA
(August 30, 2023) Vijay Goradia moved to the US with a dream of establishing ‘Vinmar International Ltd,’ a global chemical trading company that has since expanded all across the world. After enjoying a prosperous career in the chemical industry, he was diagnosed with high-risk kidney cancer, also known as renal cell carcinoma in 2020. As a member and longtime supporter for the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors (BOV), Vijay underwent treatment and is now cancer-free.
Philanthropist Vijay Goradia
This experience deeply moved Vijay, motivating him to contribute towards the discovery of new treatments under development at MD Anderson. He aimed to provide additional aid and hope to patients who might face similar challenges in the future. Vijay and his wife Marie made a generous donation of $10 million to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, with the objective of accelerating translational research and clinical trials. They established the ‘Vijay and Marie Goradia Cancer Fund’ not only for the advancement of innovations emerging from MD Anderson but also to invest in the ongoing success of such research attempts. The remainder of the gift will support the development of further therapeutic solutions across the entire research enterprise.
“We are focused on supporting the advancement and commercialization of this research,” said the Global Indian, who also is a member of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors’ Executive Committee. Through the Marie and Vijay Goradia Charitable Foundation, Vijay is committed towards broadening the availability of high-quality healthcare. They aspire is that this investment will contribute in the development of more effective and affordable cancer treatments.
Vijay Goradia with his wife Marie Goradia.
MD Anderson has consistently been at the forefront of cancer research, diagnosis, and treatment. The institution is commitmed to deliver state-of-the-art research and innovations to patients who require them. The initial funding from the Goradia Cancer Fund will kickstart the process of testing and obtaining approvals for these promising treatments. Once these approved treatments are made available in the market, the revenue generated will be reinvested into the fund to further support new research initiatives and clinical trials.
“We are all hoping for the same end result, ‘Making Cancer History’ and that cannot happen without meaningful research being done. Our hope is that MD Anderson remains at the forefront by bringing in people to come and join its research faculty,” said the Houston-based philanthropist, and cancer survivor. While philanthropy has always been an integral part of Goradia’s values, he recognizes that this mission cannot be achieved by a few philanthropists alone as it will require a collective effort. Goradia has made a dedicated effort to help others. And he is not stopping anytime soon.