19th March 2026
A life full of love, laughter, and generosity
When you met Balvindar, you remembered him. He was full of life a true people person. His niece Taj describes him as someone who “could be walking anywhere, and everyone would become his friend.” He spoke several languages, including Punjabi, Swahili, and Bugandan, and loved connecting with people from all walks of life.
Balvindar worked for BT as an engineer for most of his career ever since leaving school and his sharp mind and brilliant command of English made him a natural communicator. He never married or had children of his own, but he poured his heart into his brother’s and sister’s children and grandchildren, considering them his own.
Balvindar’s sister-in-law, Kulwant, remembers him as endlessly kind:
“He would do anything for anyone. He would go out of his way to help. He was just such a giving person, very giving. I wasn’t surprised he left something for the hospital.”
Whether it was time, food, or treats, Balvindar was the most generous person. “If you asked him to pick up a packet of biscuits,” his niece Taj recalls, “he’d come back with five.”
Balvindar lived with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (ILD) a rare lung disease that causes scarring and reduces lung capacity. Even with only 50% lung function, he refused to let it slow him down. He played hockey as long as he could, and when he couldn’t play anymore, he still turned up to cheer on his teammates.
He was cared for at Harefield Hospital for 12 years, where he had a heart valve replacement amongst many other treatments and built close relationships with many of the doctors and nurses. He was on first-name terms with the staff and often called to check in on them even when he wasn’t an inpatient there.
“He always spoke so highly of the staff,” says Taj. “He never had anything negative to say. He felt like the hospital staff was family to him.”
After contracting COVID-19 in early 2020, Balvindar’s health declined. Despite the challenges, he continued to fill his days with love, laughter, and family. He passed away peacefully on 17 May 2022, just before his 65th birthday.
In his will, Balvindar left a legacy gift to support the hospital that had cared for him so compassionately. His family says this act of generosity perfectly reflects who he was.
“Leaving a legacy feels like you’ve done something good. You don’t need to know who you’ve done it for. If someone else can receive even a little of the care he had, that’s everything he would have wanted.”
Gifts in wills like Balvindar’s ensure that hospitals like Harefield can continue providing exceptional care and advance vital research into conditions like ILD. His legacy brings hope to future patients and comfort to families who walk a similar path.
“We know how underfunded the NHS is,” Taj says. “Any help for anyone is good. We’d want others to have the same level of care he was given.”
Balvindar’s story is one of kindness, connection, and gratitude. His final gift ensures that his spirit of generosity lives on helping others receive the same compassionate care he so deeply valued.
learn more about leaving a lasting legacy
ENDS
Notes to editor
For further information please contact:
Jacqueline Nortman, Head of Marketing & Communications
About Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Charity
Founded within the UK’s largest centre for heart and lung care, Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospital Charity provide specialist clinicians, academics and researchers with the funding, equipment and resources they need to better prevent, diagnose and treat heart and lung conditions.
We bring together world-class experts in medicine and research to uncover the answers we desperately need to change the tide of these life-shattering diseases. We can help make breakthroughs that ensure every patient gets the best possible treatment.
