New Delhi, India – October 01st, 2024 – “In a powerful and heartwarming initiative for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM), CanKids KidsCan, a national NGO dedicated to supporting children battling cancer, organized Walk for Gold across India on September 23, 2024, as part of their new advocacy campaign, “Say No to Financial Hardship.” This initiative aims to shed light on the financial challenges faced by families dealing with childhood cancer and to rally support for mitigating these hardships. The event witnessed the gifting of Gold Trees of Hope to HODs, medical professionals, and hospital departments, symbolizing the unwavering strength, resilience, and priceless value of children fighting cancer.”
Named after the color gold, the universal symbol of childhood cancer awareness, the Walk for Gold represents the irreplaceable and precious nature of young lives. The walk brought together survivors, families, hospital staff, and doctors, reinforcing the importance of collective advocacy and community support.
Each Gold Tree of Hope was adorned with Helping Hands Art Projects embodying the theme “Helping Hands brings Hope.” Created by children undergoing treatment, these unique art pieces served as a symbol of hope and unity, inspiring both patients and medical staff alike. The trees were then gifted to hospital departments as a token of love, care, and solidarity, reminding the community of the collective effort required to tackle childhood cancer.
“Gold because our children are priceless and precious. The Gold tree of Hope stands as a symbol of their strength, and the Walk for Gold represent our collective commitment to their well-being,” said Poonam Bagai, Founder and Chairman of CanKids KidsCan.
On September 23, 86 hospitals, including LTMG Sion, the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children (ICH & HC) in Chennai, IGIMS Patna, and RML Lucknow, participated in the event. Additional awareness activities were held at AIIMS, TMH, and BJ Wadia hospitals. The initiative saw the participation of 893 individuals, including children, parents, doctors, and healthcare professionals, all united in the effort to raise awareness.
Doctors across multiple hospitals led the event, including Dr. Chinmay at GCRI, Dr. Rachna Seth at AIIMS Delhi, Dr. Rema Chandramohan at ICH & HC Chennai, and Dr. Bindey Kumar at IGIMS Patna praised the event, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness. The rallies held at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi and IGIMS Patna attracted significant attention, with more than 1,500 visitors attending the hospital OPDs and emergency areas.
These events celebrated the resilience of young cancer patients and brought the issue of childhood cancer into public focus.
As part of the campaign, CanKids presented Golden Trees to several esteemed healthcare leaders, honoring their dedication to raising awareness for childhood cancer and their commitment to providing care. Recipients included Dr. Rachna Seth at AIIMS Delhi, Dr. Ramachandran at ICH Chennai, Dr. Vineeta Gupta at BHU Varanasi, and many others across India, who have played pivotal roles in advancing cancer care for children.
Looking forward, the ‘Golden Walk’ is part of a larger vision to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for children with cancer by 2030. By addressing financial barriers and promoting a culture of compassion within the healthcare system, the campaign strives to ensure that all children receive the treatment they need, regardless of economic background, marking a critical step toward alleviating the financial challenges faced by families and advancing childhood cancer care in India.