Children Suffering From Cancer Aren’t Doomed

PRAVDA.Ru already reported about children’s hematology department of the Russian Children’s Clinical Hospital in Crimea where leucaemia and other kinds of cancer are treated. The hospital applies European programs, as a result of which three of four children suffering from cancer are revived there. And only doctors of the hospital and parents of diseased children know that medical treatment is very expensive under conditions of permanent economic crisis (cancer is a very expensive disease, you all know). Parents of children suffering from cancer have united into an organization called the Overcoming Charity Mission in order to fight for their lives and health.

Coordinator of the organization Yeugeny Novitsky told our correspondent, in October 2002 the organization joining parents of Crimea children suffering from cancer or those who successfully overcame the disease has been included into the world confederation of parental organizations of this type.

The problem of cancer, especially when it issuffered by children, is the problem beyond any state borders. That is why the International Children Cancer Day is marked on February 15 all over the world. This year actions dedicated to the Day were held in Crimea. It should be mentioned here that parents from the Overcoming organization are active not only on such days, they are working continuously.

Yeugeny Novitsky says that this work is carried out in different forms. For instance, the Crimea Republican Children’s Library started an action called “Give Joy to Children of Your Age!” Librarians posted a large poster with stories about children suffering from cancer where names of the present-day patients of the oncology department are mentioned. On this poster, visitors of the library could write encouraging words to the patients of the hospital. But many of the library readers brought letters of encouragement they had written at home beforehand, in addition to letters and kind words people also sent simple presents to the children, calendars, books, notebooks, paints and toys.

At first, people could hardly imagine that the library would be able to help the children suffering from cancer somehow. But when the action began, it turned out that this help was considerable: within the first two weeks of the action librarians were collecting kind words and wishes to patients of the oncology department in the Crimea hospital, the words going from the bottoms of the hearts of young and adult readers of the library. It was touching to see how tenderly children were trying to cheer up and amuse those who suffered from the awful disease, children of the same age. Adult readers of the library wrote many encouraging letters to parents of the diseased children and to the medical personnel working in the hospital.

When the library collected a great amount of presents and letters for little hospital patients, it was decided to organize a special theatre performance to deliver them to the hospital. Librarians performed a puppet show with participation of the best heroes of popular fairytales and then distributed presents and letters among the children.

The Crimea museum of local history and economy organized an exhibition of things made by children suffering from oncological diseases. Those were embroideries, origami, wonderful compositions made of paper and drawings. Tutors help the children make such things. Coordinator of the Overcoming organization Yeugeny Novitsky says that some of the exhibits were the best at Crimea competitions of children’s creative works, participated in mobile exhibitions in the USA, special exhibitions dedicated to such works were held in Kiev and Amsterdam.

Yeugeny Novitsky says that children suffering from cancer are not doomed; doctors, parents and they themselves are fighting for their lives. There is place for joy and optimism in their everyday life. The motto of the Overcoming Charity Mission says “We Will Survive!” Unfortunately, there are not enough medicines (which are very expensive by the way) for cancer treatment, medical equipment often breaks, and then children’s lives are once again hang by a threat. Children suffering from cancer need the help of everyone around them. If we are not afraid of talking about cancer that is often said to be “incurable” but instead do something to overcome the disease, we will be a success with it!

Andrey Lubensky PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: https://www.pravda.ru/world/34076-preodolenie/

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