‘Team Nikhil’ honors Bedford Hills boy

Nigil Loganathan, center, with parents Raj and Artika. He lost his life to a rare disease in 2021.

Team Nikhil at an Inclusive Treat or Treat event.

By NEAL RENTZ

Nikhil Loganathan was a beloved student at the Bedford Village Elementary School who dealt with a condition called microcephaly-capillary malformation syndrome, of which there are fewer than 20 known cases worldwide.

Though Nikhil lost his battle with the rare ailment on Oct. 6, 2021, his legacy continues through the Team Nikhil Foundation, a charity created by his parents, Artika and Raj Loganathan. It helps children and their families facing similar challenges participate in inclusive activities and obtain adaptive equipment.

The family moved to Bedford in 2018 when Nikhil, the couple’s only child, was 9. 

“Nikhil’s diagnosis was complex in that not only did he have many medical challenges, including frequent and often daily seizures, but was also nonverbal and was dependent on a wheelchair,” Artika Loganathan, speaking on behalf of his family and Team Nikhil, said last week. Nikhil required one-to-one support for all his daily needs, she said.

“Since Nikhil was born, we spent our time navigating the journey of parenting a child with a rare disease, something for which there is no roadmap to follow,” she said.

Support for Nikhil was at the forefront of every decision she and her husband made.

“All states did not provide what was needed for Nikhil, and leaving one state for another state was a massive undertaking,” she said.

The family only considered the move because Raj Loganathan commuted several days per week from a Philadelphia suburb to the PepsiCo office in Westchester, and moving would lessen a huge burden on the family.

Family finds a new home

The family moved to The Farms neighborhood in Bedford. 

“Upon meeting with the Bedford Central School District special education department, we were skeptical when they suggested a program for Nikhil in our village elementary school,” Artika recalled. “They supported inclusion and were determined to provide the extensive support needed to make this work for Nikhil.”

Nikhil began Bedford Village Elementary in fall 2018.

“At the time we didn’t realize how magical this would be for him,” the mother said. “He was in a supportive classroom with incredible special education teachers, therapists and aides that helped him thrive. For the first time, children would recognize him in the neighborhood or community and welcomed him as a part of it.”

Following his death, Bedford Village Elementary school remembered Nikhil by decorating rocks in a garden dedicated in his memory, Artika said.

The Team Nikhil Foundation charitable organization was created to improve the lives of children with disabilities and complex medical needs.

“We called our organization ‘Team’ Nikhil because Nikhil needed a team to thrive. The organization is led by us, his teachers and friends, people whose lives Nikhil touched,” she said. “Team Nikhil aims to educate communities about children with such needs to promote inclusion and help educate other parents with our lived experience, create inclusive events to foster relationships between children with and without disabilities and provide funds for adaptive equipment that is often not funded by insurance and can become quite costly.”

Team Nikhil was created in 2023, and its programs began in 2024. 

Team Nikhil’s inclusive events include music to calm children, movement to warm up and other activities including gardening or planting. The events pair participants with local middle or high school students known as buddies. 

“We are educating the buddies about the various challenges the children we serve face while developing a friendship,” Artika said.

She said Team Nikhil’s inclusive trick-or-treating event includes neighbors placing tables at the end of their driveways to improve accessibility, while providing nonedible treats for children with food sensitivities or feeding tubes and avoiding flashing lights or loud sounds that could lead to sensory overload. 

The organization’s Adaptive Equipment Award Program works to alleviate the burden of expensive adaptive devices needed for children to thrive. Insurance reimbursement varies for adaptive equipment and Team Nikhil tries to bridge the gap by providing funds for items such as all-terrain wheelchairs, communication aids and orthotics, she said, adding the organization has been awarded over $10,000 worth of equipment.

Nikhil’s mother works on Team Nikhil full time, as a volunteer, while her husband works with the organization on a part-time volunteer basis.  Its board, which is also made up of volunteers, includes five local and three out-of-state residents, she said. Occasional volunteers include students from Pace University’s occupational therapy and physician assistant programs.

“It has been incredibly meaningful and heartwarming to see our initial vision come to life through this process,” she said. “The idea to create this organization was born from Nikhil’s experience at Bedford Village Elementary School and in our community.” 

Team Nikhil’s mission

Team Nikhil’s future initiatives include providing informational resources to families, expanding its inclusive and buddy programs, and expanding its Adaptive Equipment Award.

“We award adaptive equipment such as bicycles and wheelchairs through an application process,” Artika Loganathan said. “This helps bridge the gaps in insurance coverage for certain items.” 

In late 2025 the organization was awarded the PepsiCo Foundation’s Community Impact Award. Through the grant, the Team Nikhil Empower Award was created to provide scholarships for therapeutic horseback riding, adaptive swimming and other recreational programs that are often added costs for families. 

Those seeking to become a Team Nikhil volunteer or to receive the organization’s services should email info@teamnikhil.org.

Sponsorships from local businesses are welcomed, as well as individual donations, which can be made on the organization’s website, teamnikhil.org. 

Neal Rentz has covered Westchester and Putnam counties for more than four decades at publications including The Journal News, North County News, The Record Review and The Recorder.