St. Jude India ChildCare Centres (SJICC) prides itself on providing holistic treatment and free of cost accommodation to children suffering from Childhood Cancer and with their families. St. Judes endeavours to see that no child suffering from cancer is left untreated The organisation was established 15 years ago, and has been instrumental in providing the children with support, courage and hope.
The disease takes a toll not just on the body but also the mental well-being of these children. It also affects their families deeply. Hence, it is imperative to engage them in activities that provide relaxation, a constructive outlook and entertainment.
“Nothing’s better than a picnic.”
– Zooey Deschanel
Battling cancer and undergoing treatment for the same is quite taxing and stressful for the children and their families. Our St. Judes team in Kolkata took the families on a picnic last weekend so that they could geta break from their routine. The children and their parents visited NKDA Bisarjan Ghat, Newton in Kolkata. Everyone had a wonderful time as they took part in activities such as playing musical chairs. Later, they all enjoyed a healthy and delicious fare.
Donating Blood can save lives!
Young cancer warriors staying at St. Judes are blessed to have parents who have been their pillar of strength and encouragement during testing times. Their fathers not only look after their own children but also come forward to help other families when required. St. Judes Cotton Green Campus recently saw some of these fathers donating granulocytes (white blood cells) to needy children.
They are –
- Babar Mallik, whose son Soleman has been undergoing treatment for blood cancer, has been staying with us since November 2022.
- Sarikul Haslona is the father of Simran who is undergoing treatment for a tumour.
- Hailing from West Midnapore, West Bengal, Deepak Pal came to Mumbai for the treatment of his daughter Disha.
- Sahadik Raza has been a strong support for his son Sakib who is undergoing treatment for Blood Cancer at Tata Memorial Hospital.
- When his son Md lbrahim was diagnosed with leukemia, Md Afraj came to our centre in December 2022.
- Asif Shaikh, father of Aliza, has been staying at our centre since October 2022.
To thank them for their contribution, our staff felicitated them with appreciation certificates.
“Keep walking through the storm, your rainbow is waiting on the other side.”
– Heather Stillufsen
Every year, on the occasion of World Cancer Day, CanSupport – Caring for people with cancer, organises a yearly walking event. ‘WALK for LIFE – Stride Against Cancer’ is an annual walkathon held in February to raise awareness about increasing cancer cases in India and to show support to cancer patients and their families. CanSupport invited families from our Delhi centres to participate in this event and they were thrilled to be a part of it. After the event, everyone was offered refreshments and lunch.
“Creativity takes Courage”
-Henri Matisse
Mothers from our Jaipur centres recently took part in a creative event. During the session, they learnt the art of bag painting. Without using any brush, they painted on cloth bags using various colours. They learnt to cut out stencils from paper and use them to imprint beautiful designs such as flowers and leaves on the bags. The mothers thoroughly enjoyed the session as it was something new for them that was relaxing as well. These bags were later gifted to them as a token of appreciation for their efforts.
Smiles on the faces of these brave little children and their families go a long way for their healthier future. With your love and support, St. Judes can bring much more sunshine to their lives in the near future.
