How it all began...

In 2003, two doctors from the UK, Mary Cusack and Catherine Morris met for the first time whilst studying for the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at Liverpool. Both had a passion to use their medical skills and work with disadvantaged children in the developing world. In preparation for this they embarked on specialist paediatric training in Nottingham, UK, both gaining their membership into the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

In 2006, Mary and Cat visited India for the first time as part of a short-term medical team and were very moved by what they saw. Scenes of desperate poverty, endemic violence against women and children, and a pervading lack of integrity and compassionate care in the health field.

After witnessing first hand on a number of occasions gross medical misconduct towards children, whether through corruption, ignorance or apathy, Mary and Cat were moved to action. 

As a result of this, in February 2007 Mary and Cat both gave up their paediatric jobs in the NHS and returned to India to work with poor and vulnerable children in a voluntary capacity and Love the One was founded.

For a number of years they worked alongside a number of charities in Southern India, allowing them to make friends and start to understand the various aspects of Indian culture.  After gaining experience in both the medical fields and in caring for children, they then moved to Odisha (Orissa) in 2010, one of the four poorest states in India where their work was to be based.