By Ella Cecillia | Chief Operating Officer
The month of September is recognised as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month around the world -a time to honor the children affected by cancer, and increase awareness to rally support for them.
Childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 14. At Rachel House, we bear witness to the painful journeys of our patients and their families; and it is an honour to walk by their side to help relieve their pain, and provide them with not only medical assistance but also emotional and practical support, to allow them to endure the difficult journey with strength and peace of mind.
Just recently, a new patient was admitted to our service, a 13-year-old boy diagnosed with Hepatocellular Carcinoma, a relatively rare of liver cancer for children. Ricky had complaints of stomach pain since June 2022, but the family physician thought it was a gastritis and prescribed antacid. In early August, when the pain persisted, Ricky was referred to the cancer hospital where he received a liver cancer diagnosis. For Ricky and his parents, it feels like their entire world had fallen apart; the news was so devastating that they didn’t know what to think, where to go or even what to accept as truth.
In general, one of the approaches to treat Hepatocellular Carcinoma is surgery. However, as the cancer is too advanced with metastasis to lungs and kidneys, surgery is no longer feasible. The only approach possible is palliative chemotherapy, to reduce the severity of the symptoms.
Ricky was referred to Rachel House’s service by his oncologist, to provide him with medical support at home, and to ensure he and his family are kept well-informed about his prognosis and the illness trajectory – to allow them to make the best decisions on the care for Ricky.
Ricky’s story is one of many and sadly, occurs frequently in Indonesia. According to the 2013 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas), the prevalence of cancer in children (aged 0-14 years) in Indonesia is around 16,291 cases per year,and more than 50% of cancer cases in children present to health facilities at an advanced stage.
We invite you to participate in GlobalGiving’s Little by Little Matching Campaign. Support our work by making your donation throughout September 12 - 16, 2022, and GlobalGiving will match your donation by 50%. Your actions will have a big impact on the lives of patients we care for!
Help bring us closer towards the dream of an Indonesia where no child should ever live or die in pain.
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