Walk-a-thon for cancer awareness: a success

Sat, Oct 26, 2013 at 2:03 PM

Ludhiana, 26^th October, 2013: (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria): The festival season has set in the city in a completely different manner this year. The morning walkers in Rakh Bagh and Rose Garden area were up for a surprise when there were more than 300 people to give them company. Can Fight Cancer (CFC)- a society formed with the objective of raising awareness against cancer and emphasizing the importance of early detection and adopting a healthy lifestyle, had organized a walk-a-thon in this area of the city. There is no doubt about the fact that the city, the general public and our society need more and more of such events. A brief introduction about the society was given by Mr Jagjit Sood and Mrs Meetu Nayyar who are the founder members.

Flagged off by Mr. Bharat Bhushan Ashu, MLA and Dr Abraham G Thomas, Director CMCH, the walkathon was felicitated by the presence of Mayor Mr Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria, Mrs Deepika Bhalla and Mr Narinder Sharma. The walk was attended by cancer survivors, their families, families of those unfortunate patients who succumbed to cancer, political leaders, administrative leaders, health care professionals from CMC Ludhiana, senior citizens, KVM students/staff, members of Freemasons Club, members Himalayan Yoga Foundation and other healthy volunteers at 6:30 A.M. The convoy reached the Rose Garden at 7:15 A.M. Once at Rose Garden, a small quiz and interactive session was organized by Dr Kunal Jain with the objective of raising awareness and spreading the message of “Early Detection”. KVM students and general public actively participated in the discussion. Mr Anil Sood, a cancer survivor himself, emphasized the need to carry this momentum forward and continue such campaigns on a larger scale.

The environment seemed to be fully charged with the spirit of young and old alike to take cancer head on despite the losses most of the participants or their loved ones had suffered, either physically, emotionally or financially. It was a tribute to all the efforts of the medical fraternity, the survivors to thwart and overcome this condition and a salute to their bravery, determination and willpower. People from all walks of life expressed solidarity with the cause by marching along the scheduled route which ended at the Rose Garden.

Mr. Bharat Bhushan Ashu applauded the efforts of the society and expressed the need to hold such events more often. A healthy population is important for building a healthy nation. The message that the event is giving is not only awareness against the disease and importance of early detection but also encouraging people to adopt a healthy lifestyle.’

The event was organized with help from CMCH who had the biggest contribution in numbers for this event to express solidarity. Dr. Abraham G Thomas, Director of CMC gave a brief overview of history of CMC and cancer facilities available at the hospital. Dr Kanwal Masih, Medical Superintendent CMCH said, “when our efforts are complemented by the efforts of society at large, no disease seems unbeatable”. Mr HS Gohalwaria added that the incidence of cancer is increasing at an alarming rate and the action that we take today can make all the difference in future.

Cancer Survivorship was highlighted by Mrs Veena Mittal who fought a victorious battle with the disease almost 20 yrs back. She said “cancer is such a disease about which we think that it cannot touch me. While having this attitude we forget that the disease is not going to seek permission before coming. It will just come. Support from family and community is vital for victory.” Mr Sikander Lal Jain also praised the efforts of the society and CMC. Dr N K Chaudhary, Head of Surgery department at CMC Ludhiana also emphasized on the fact that knowledge is empowerment and so is early detection. Dr M Joseph John from CMCH emphasized about a united effort for success in fight against cancer.

Mr Varun, a member of CAN FIGHT CANCER, has seen his mother battling the disease very closely to emerge victorous. He says, ‘To say that cancer is challenging is just an understatement. The challenges are manifold – physical, emotional, social and financial. Fighting the disease is only one part of the battle. More resources, research, and increased public awareness are needed to improve the quality of life of cancer survivors”. Transport back to the starting point and Ambulance facilities were made available by CMC Ludhiana.

Finally the walkathon was put to a close with a declaration by the society President Dr. R.P.Jain with a vote of thanks and to have such events frequently not only in the city but also to spread the geographical coverage and expand the work of the society beyond the local limits of Ludhiana into all the nooks and corners of the country and even globally over time. The society motivated and united by a common feeling that “knowing it exists is not enough, get informed and pass it on”aims at collaborating with volunteers in different regions as well as through the use of the online platform (www.canfightcancer.com) in order to utilize the immense power inherent in cyberspace for this noble cause.