A boy of about four or five years had come from Bangladesh for cancer treatment some years ago. “His mother was a huge Salman Khan fan, and before long, so was he. They would spend hours watching the actor’s films on the hospital TV,” recalled Arnab Gupta, medical director and consultant surgical oncologist at Saroj Gupta Cancer & Research Institute, Thakurpukur.
Eventually, the child stopped responding to treatment and, when he realised he wouldn’t get better, told them: “Amar ar Salman Khan er cinema dekha hobe na.” The hospital got in touch with Make-A-Wish Foundation, which fulfils one wish of children with life-threatening illnesses, and they flew the boy to Mumbai. “The superstar spent two hours with the child, and when the boy returned, he was a changed person. He resumed eating, would play in the garden…. it was remarkable!” Gupta continued.
The heartwarming story, however, might have had a tragic ending. “Once the child was better, his parents took him back to Bangladesh, but whenever we mailed them to come for follow-ups, they never responded,” Gupta said. “And without check-ups, I don’t think he survived.”
This is the harsh reality of many a paediatric cancer patient who lives far from hospitals. “Cancer treatment is a long-drawn process, and with no affordable place to stay near the hospital, many families discontinue treatment midway, and the child succumbs. This is especially true for girl children,” Gupta shared with The Telegraph Salt Lake at the inauguration of Aarush Aangan, a facility where pediatric cancer patients and their parents can stay free of cost during treatment.
The centre is near the Infosys campus in New Town, and Aarush Memorial Trust, that is funding the project, will also provide free transport to and from the hospitals, till as far as NRS Medical College. Food for the child will be free, and for parents, it will be provided at cost.
The trust in question was started in 2019 upon the demise of 14-year-old Aarush Chakravorty, who had succumbed to blood cancer that same year. “We have been doing charity work since then, but this is our biggest project yet,” said Aarush’s father Abhijit Chakravorty, who is the settlor-cum-trustee chairman of the body.
The first floor beds for the children and their mothers
A host of dignitaries attended the inauguration, such as Dipshikha Maiti, pediatric oncologist at Institute of Child Health (ICH). “Many parents are crestfallen when told that their child is being released from the hospital, as they have nowhere to live in the city and continue treatment. Some move into under-construction buildings near the hospital, and naturally, the vulnerable child gets pneumonia,” she noted.
Aprita Bhattacharyya, head of paediatric cancer at Tata Medical Center, said India gets about 75,000 cases of pediatric cancer a year, of which only half are diagnosed, of which only half are treated. “Treatment is so expensive that it pushes many middle-class families under the poverty line. Some parents consciously stop a child’s treatment and let them die, planning instead to have another child in future,” said the doctor who had also treated Aarush. “But one shouldn’t give up on them. Help every child live a full life so he can give back to society.”
The new facility has space for 12 children (up to the age of 14) along with their parents. On the ground floor are triple-decker beds for the fathers. On the first floor is an air-conditioned hall with wider beds that will accommodate both mother and child. An isolation room with an attached bathroom has also been created for a child and his family, should it be prescribed. There is a hobby room and a dining-cum-play area on the second floor.
Also present at the inauguration were survivors of paediatric cancer, including Jeet Mondal, who is now in college. His father, Shibnath Mondal, recalled with horror the ordeal they faced when Jeet was diagnosed during the lockdown.
“Travelling every day from our Beleghata home to ICH was impossible. My son frequently needed blood transfusions and emergency medicines, so I had to stay nearby, but there was no accommodation available. Along with 10 other fathers of paediatric cancer patients, I lived outside the hospital for more than 20 days, sheltering under plastic sheets,” said Mondal.
“With blood banks running dry, I donated blood to my son eight times in a month, and the lack of proper food and living conditions took a toll on my health. I know better than anyone how vital lodging and meals are for parents of patients,” he said.
For details of the home, or to donate to the cause, visit www.aarushmtrust.org.