IT’S A FIRST!
1st Indian Childhood Cancer Survivor Conference, 6 & 7 February 2010, New Delhi.
This conference will be part of worldwide celebrations of the 9th International Childhood Cancer Day and will host cancer survivors, patients, caregivers, doctors, donors and volunteers from all over India.
This conference aims to bring to surface unattended childhood cancer issues (Psycho-Social, Emotional & Physical) from the young patient’s point of view and ultimately to build a united voice for childhood cancer.
We know our caregivers do their best for us. But do they hear our voice? They talk over our heads about our treatment, options, what we must be feeling. They think that if they pretend “All is Well” we will not know we have the world’s scariest disease.
Do they hear us? For those of us who survived do they know what the impact has been, the memories we carry? If they ignore our pain, we will not feel it!
Ask young Sonu, now 16, survivor of ALL (blood cancer), who described the procedures during his LMP at 11 years of age… “4 of them used to hold my 4 limbs down and I lay spread-eagled like an animal…and the pain I felt was the worst imaginable. I will carry the scars lifelong.”
We ask that you help us create a talk show surrounding these often overlooked challenges that many childhood cancer survivors face. Some examples are:
The social implications of getting married for young girl survivors in a primarily arranged marriage setting
Entering into the workforce and deciding whether to tell employer
The delayed social and psychological side effects of arduous treatment and distressing memories
Extreme pain during treatment and the long lasting post treatment rehabilitation
Feeling alone and unheard
We will be able to provide an audience or talk show panel comprised of participants, support groups, local and national pediatric oncologists, patients and survivors. If possible, we wish to have this talk show on the afternoon of February 5th before our national conference.
We also invite you to attend our 1st Indian Cancer Survivor Conference on February 6th (3:30-7:00pm) at the Jawaharlal Auditorium @ AIIMS
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
CONTACT
CanKids...KidsCan
Phone: 9711179772
Website: http://www.cankidsindia.org/
Benita Sen has been writing on cancer for several years. She is convinced that every shred of information on the issue can be of some help towards combating cancer. Some of the earlier articles are now no more on the net. This blog was started in a bid to put together the ones that are visible.
