Mangalore: Indomitable Spirit Shines over Trauma of Suffering
Divvy Kant Upadhyay
for Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Jan 14: Just last month the excited voice of former president APJ Abdul Kalam echoed around the seven hills that form Mangalore. He observed that in the case of Cancers, it is essential that an indomitable spirit should shine over the trauma of pain and suffering.
On a bright Sunday morning on January 13 while the country was celebrating Lodi and Pongal and waiting to welcome Makar Sankranti, Abdul Kalam's month-old observation was seen coming true on the faces of the tiny tots suffering from cancer and even on the faces of their excited parents.
The annual Kasturba Medical College Hospital Cancer support group meeting this year was enlivened by a wonderful entertainment performance by the young kids of Canara nursery and primary school, who performed for their friends who are suffering from cancer.
Childhood cancer is certainly a traumatizing experience both for the child suffering from it and their parents. The treatment for cancer is most of the times more harrowing than the disease process itself. To suffer all that and much more at such a tender age does seriously pose a mammoth challenge for the young souls. But with recent medical therapies, childhood cancer has become curable and there is a good prognosis for most of the treated cases.
So while the members of the support groups for these children like their parents and some volunteers got together and discussed and exchanged views, the children both –under treatment as well as the cured ones and their siblings, more than 80 in number enjoyed their day at the Pediatric Heamato-oncology ward at the Kasturba Medical College Hospital at Attavar in Mangalore. An entertainment show, a video show and games were organized for the jolly little kids.
Congratulating and handing over certificates of appreciation to the young students of Canara Primary School, KMC associate dean Dr Venkatraya Prabhu lauded the efforts, concern and time spent by the young kids and their teachers, to perform for children suffering from cancer. Dr Prabhu stressed the importance of actually doing something along with voicing concern for the suffering tot.
Dr Prabhu conveyed the best wishes to the gathering on behalf the Manipal University vice-chancellor Dr Raj Warrier and KMC Dean Dr Raghuveer as they could not attend the function owing to inordinate delay of their flights from Bangalore. He reiterated the concern, commitment and efforts of the Manipal Education and Medical Group in serving for social cause.
KMC Associate dean Dr Anand Kini, KMC Hospital COO Dr Sunil Deshpande, KMC Pediatrics HoD Dr Nutan Kamath, manager of Canara School Jaiwant Kamath, were present on the occasion along with teachers of the Canara School and doctors from the department of Pediatrics at the KMC Hospital.
All the dignitaries lauded the efforts of KMC pediatric heamato-oncologist Dr ATK Rao, his colleagues and his team in having organized such an event on the sidelines of doing the more important job of treating and saving young lives. The excitement and happiness with humility was visible on the faces of the young doctors running around with the kids making sure each and every child enjoyed the programme and lunch party and got their 'surprise' gifts.
Hope this one day did actually help those children suffering form cancer to rejoice and have some good memories to cherish and encourage others in this fight against cancer on all frontiers.
Related News: