Shrinivas Sainis, my husband, left on his Mount Everest expedition from Singapore on April 1st with the aim of summiting Mount Everest and then Mount Lhotse in a single expedition. He would have been one of the few in South East Asia and the first Singaporean Indian to do so.

I witnessed his focus, rigour and discipline in training to achieve this feat while also managing his work commitments as an Executive Director. Judicious, meticulous and sharp – Shri was extraordinary. Only few can dare to dream the way he did. Having successively scaled a higher mountain every year, including all 8163m of Manaslu, Shri fully understood the gravity of such dreams.

He successfully summited the peak of Mount Everest at 8848m on 19 May 2023.

However, he developed HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema) and could not make it back down.

He was 39 – and in his glorious and rich life, he lived fearlessly and to the fullest. He explored the depths of the sea and scaled the greatest heights of the Earth. And now, Shri is in the mountains, where he felt most at Home.

I am humbled to have witnessed him and all that he stood for. I am incredibly proud of him and feel lucky to have experienced life and death through him.

I have been asked many times how I could let my husband pursue a passion with high risks, but his aspirations were exceptional. Though we both also realised it would involve using our savings, it was important to us to support and be the cornerstone of each other’s ambitions.

Shri extended his generosity beyond our home. He was always a willing foster father, gaining the trust and love of even the most aggressive and difficult dogs that we brought home. He also supported the education of his dearest mountaineering companion, Dendi Sherpa’s daughters. Dendi Sherpa always put Shri’s life ahead of his, and this time it unfortunately resulted in him sustaining 3rd degree frostbites requiring urgent specialty medical care. The full extent of the injury will be known only in due course but I am certain this will impact his livelihood.

In order to keep Shrinivas’ commitments alive, I am creating a fund in memory of him.

A note from the Ray of Hope Team

Mdm Sushma created this private campaign to enable friends and family to contribute in Shrinivas’s memory. 100% of the funds donated will be given to Mdm Sushma. Click here to view the Straits Times article.

We verified Mdm Sushma’s & Shrinivas’s identities and have her consent to start this campaign on her behalf. All media enquires can be directed to info@rayofhope.sg.

About Ray of Hope

Ray of Hope provides short-term financial assistance to families and individuals who have fallen in hard times. As Singapore’s first and only crowdfunding charity, we are able to mobilise the community’s resources and support for those who need it. Through enabling and facilitating these connections, Ray of Hope strives to build a stronger, more tight-knit community where everyone is valued and empowered.

We commit to serving the needs of low-income and vulnerable individuals and families from all backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, ex-offenders, single parents,  migrant workers, isolated seniors and the unhoused. Through continuous engagement with our community and social impact partners, we explore collaborative approaches, beyond crowdfunding, to provide opportunities for our clients to become more self-reliant.

Ray of Hope is a registered charity and Institution of Public Character (IPC) that connects donors, clients, partners and volunteers to build a stronger, more inclusive community.