Cancer is one ravaging disease which not just takes away a family's breadwinner but also leaves it penniless and emotionally devastated. Even before the family recovers from the trauma of having lost a loved one, it has to face the harsh realities of life — how to carry on with life and more importantly, the children's education.
Care Plus, an NGO that works with the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), reaches out to such families, helps them deal with the trauma and puts them back on the path of life. It takes care of the home requirements of families of cancer patients, the educational needs of children, and supports them until they are able to stand on their own, a statement issued by the NGO here said.
Last week, over 170 school and college-going children of cancer patients were given financial assistance and educational kits at ‘Snehasparsham,' an event organised at the Juhanon Marthoma Study Centre, Mannanthala.
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Children from various schools, some as young as UKG students to those doing professional courses, received the assistance from K. Ramdas, the Medical Superintendent of RCC, who was the chief guest on the occasion.
Palliative care
Dr. Ramdas commended Care Plus for the NGO's work in providing home-based palliative care to the poor and needy patients at RCC, who would otherwise not have been able to reach the hospital for the personal care and counselling and moral support they badly required, the statement said.
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He also called on the children to spread the message about the need to adopt lifestyle changes to fight the spread of cancer. Apart from avoiding junk food, school children should be encouraged to keep away from tobacco products, particularly pan masala, which was very dangerous and found to be one of the main causes of oral cancer among the youth in Kerala, Dr. Ramdas said.
George Varghese, president of Care Plus, welcomed the gathering and Cherian Philip, secretary, read out a report on the activities of the organisation in the past year.