Tata Hospital Patients on the Footpath
CHF makes life easier for cancer patients from different regions lying on the footpath. Read More
To make the journeys of cancer warriors a little easier, CHF has launched a care program: distributing fresh watermelons, food packets, Amul buttermilk, water & pre-loved clothes to beat the heat.
People travel from all across India to Tata Hospital, Parel in Mumbai, as it is India's best hospital exclusively for the treatment of cancer patients. In this hospital, patients receive adequate care and treatment at very affordable costs. Every day, around 400-500 new admissions come from the interior parts of our country. Even though there are many dharamshalas and ashrams near the hospital that can accommodate these cancer patients, they are still inadequate to handle the volumes of people that come. Due to a scarcity of beds in these accommodation-providing charities, these underprivileged people are compelled to sleep on the streets even while undergoing such painful treatments. It is heartbreaking to see little children and elderly people along with their feeding tubes, urine bags and all those bandages lying down on the dirty footpath and eating food near overflowing garbage bins. Even in the scorching heat, they have nowhere else to go.
From Saturday, 7th May 2022, CHF launched the Beat The Heat Campaign to help these patients. We regularly distribute food packets of fresh watermelons and Amul buttermilk along with bottles of water. We also hand out pre-loved clothes that we collected from our friends and relatives across Mumbai. Each story that we hear is heartbreaking, like young men who have left their jobs to accompany their parents here for their treatment. Some women are suffering from oral cancer or ovarian cancer and have to leave their children behind to live here on the footpath with their husbands during the treatment.
One day, as we arrived outside the hospital, our attention was drawn to a man who was suffering from mouth cancer and constantly vomiting blood. It was excruciating to see him go through this alone. Before it was too late, our volunteers alerted the hospital staff and immediately rushed him inside the hospital.
As we hand out these small food items, it is always heartwarming to see the people receive them with so much gratitude. We are doing this program on a more regular basis outside Tata Cancer Hospital. We’re trying our very best to do so and help these people in every possible way.
In memory of your loved ones who have lost their lives to cancer, or those who have survived this fight and are still with you by the grace of God, please donate to CHF so that we can help many more such cancer patients. A one-time donation or a monthly contribution will go a long way in supporting these poor patients.
Cancer Patients Around Ennore
In honour of World Cancer Day, four Cancer Warriors indulged CHF & shared their stories of courage and hardships. Tune in to listen to the brave women: Graciana (on Catherine's journey), Pandi Selvi, Rama Valli & Vani Chithra. Read More
On 4th February 2022, in light of World Cancer Day, the whole CHF team visited four cancer patients’ homes to individually meet and speak with them. Everyone in the team had a lovely, pleasant, and uplifting time as people shared their stories and the paths they had walked through. Graciana spoke about Catherine’s life and the pain that she had been through while suffering from cancer, and how she never lost her cheer, even when she kept being bombarded by one piece of bad news after another. It was a fruitful and well-spent day for the CHF team. We gave them one month’s worth of groceries and a nightie each.
Pandi Selvi worked as a construction worker. She had a little lump in her breast, and during the PET scan came to know that both her breasts had tumours. As a result, both breasts have been removed. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment and is still on the road to recovery. She is staying with her daughter’s family and her son-in-law, a painter by profession.
Rama Valli is a homeless person who sleeps on the street. One of her relatives prepares and serves her meals. This elderly lady is suffering from a brain tumour but the doctors have refused treatment because she is quite old and cancer has spread to other parts of the body. She is now at a stage of life where she is unaware of what she is going through.
Vani Chithra is a mentally challenged 41-year-old woman. She had breast cancer a few years ago and had one of her breasts removed. She is now suffering from the side effects of chemo and is going through some difficulties, yet her spirit is unbroken. Despite her pain and suffering, she is pleasant and happy. Her father is an elderly man who works as a security guard in one of the companies nearby. Her mother begs on the streets.
Beula is a 38-year-old woman who is in a very sad stage in her life. Her husband is a daily wage earner. She started with immediate treatment three years ago when she discovered a lump in her breasts. Unfortunately, in spite of chemo, the disease has now spread to her brain. She has previously had brain surgery, but now again has a large lump on top of her skull that has developed into a tumour. She now has more surgeries lined up in the future. We were amazed to hear how her young son Manoj Kumar (who is studying in class 6) has been taking care of his mother all this while, even when she was bedridden. He was the only one who used to clean her and change her diapers.
In memory of your loved ones who have lost their lives to cancer, or those who have survived this fight and are still with you by the grace of God, please donate to CHF so we can help many more such cancer patients. A one-time donation or a monthly contribution will go a long way in supporting these poor patients.
Friendship Day Celebration among the cancer patients, outside Tata Hospital
CHF celebrated 'Friendship Day' on Saturday, 6th August, 2022, with the cancer patients staying outside Tata Hospital and the children living in the streets. The streets outside Tata Memorial Hospital were lit with music and excitement. The day turned out to be much more exciting than what we had imagined. Read More
The children tied friendship bands to each other and all the cancer patients. Many of them also tied the bands on our hands as well. We gave them gifts which included a plate, bowl, spoon, glass and some chocolates. They went around each tent singing, dancing and handing out gifts to each cancer patient. Brother Selvinson played the guitar singing wonderful jingles, and the children had an amazing time joyously singing and dancing.
It was so wonderful to see the beautiful smiles on the faces of the cancer patients as they joined us in these activities. It was truly a time of joy and cheer, and they individually thanked us and mentioned that no one had ever done this for them. Towards the end, we cut a friendship cake with them and distributed it to all people on the streets.
There could not have been a better way to celebrate this day. It was indeed a fruitful and memorable day.
Tata Wheelchair donation
On Sunday, 28th August 2022, CHF paid a visit to the cancer patients staying outside on the pavements of Tata Cancer hospital, Mumbai and donated a wheelchair for public use for cancer patients. Read More
Caretakers of the cancer patients who are unable to walk have to deposit their Aadhar card in the hospital in order to rent a wheelchair. They have to follow this procedure every day, even when the patients have to take a bath or use the washroom. Now, after our wheelchair donation, any immobile cancer patient who is in genuine need of a wheelchair to get to the hospital or any other reason can do so without any difficulty.
All the patients and their caretakers were really grateful and overjoyed to receive the wheelchair. They personally thanked us for being so thoughtful and appreciated our effort.