Address at the Launching of the Special Cancer Care Project for Children of Karunya Nilayam, Kottayam

Mitigating the Pain of the Poor

I am delighted to participate in the launching of the Special Cancer Care Project for Children by Karunya Nilayam. My respects to His Holiness Moran Mar Baselius Marthoma Mathews II and His Grace Geevarghese Mar Ivanious. My greetings to the organizers and inmates of Karunya Nilayam and other distinguished guests. I am very happy to note that the Karunya Nilayam is in a very important mission of providing logistics support such as mid-day meals, medicine and accommodation to the patients undergoing treatment in the Kottayam Medical College Hospital. To this gathering I would like to share some of the incidents which took place during one of my recent visit.

Experience with six year old child

Sometime back, I met one gentleman whose 6-year-old grand child was on periodic blood transfusion for Thallesemia. The permanent solution, doctors told me was a bone marrow transplant. The bone marrow of the child was not matching even between siblings and the parents. Unmatched bone marrow transplant is not done in India, I was told, and even in the West it is undertaken only in experimental situations. I met the child who was unaware of the time bomb that was ticking inside him. I prayed for him, for that was the only thing I could do. Today, standing before this gathering, I think I must share with you my concern for these patients who live under the shadow of uncertain life. What can we do to strengthen the doctors? capabilities in such a situation? Research on stem cell holds great promise. May be clinicians getting involved in this research will lead to breakthrough. We have a shortage of Bone Marrow Transplant facilities. Then there are emotional issues. When a person is diagnosed with cancer, in addition to the treatment, psychological support is needed in a big way. This support should be in the form of counseling and spiritual strengthening. Patient should be advised not to despair and retreat from the normal life. Courage to carry on with the life should be reinforced by persons living around. It is seen that properly supported by their families and friends, many cancer patients have discovered their inner selves while valiantly facing onslaught of the disease.

Warriors of Spirit

I have three friends so valiently handling their blood cancers. The first one is an industrialist, second one is an author and the third one is a painter, all three are handling their blood cancers with courage. Undaunted by the presence of a disease of poor morbidity in their bodies they are relently pursuing life. The industrialists says, like a gladiator, he will defeat his cancerous cells. The author is learning more about Self by writing books of great spiritual and literaray value. I have invited the painter to stay in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He created beautiful paintings capturing the beauty and life in Mughal Garden. He showed me one painting which he did while undergoing chemotherapy at the Tata Memorial Hospital. The indomitable spirit was shining over the trauma of pain. I learnt from interaction with these three men that the life of a cancer patient is a process of adjustment to a disease that at times is in remission and at other times active. Any illness or even discomfort can direct us to the often-ignored self. It can even become a journey of faith.

10th Anniversary Mission for Karunya Nilayam

The treatment for cancer is prolonged and expensive. A common man in the rural area may not be able to sustain the financial burden. In that respect I am very happy to find that Karunya Nilayam is providing free medicines, free noon meals and free accommodation to large number of patients. This is a very important societal mission.

The initiation of screening of children in the rural areas and providing total treatment for over hundred cancer affected children by the Karunya Nilayam as the 10th anniversary programme indeed adds importance to the mission of this institution.

Working towards self sustenance - Child to Youth

After completing the phase of basic general education, the children should be put through vocational training programme which will enable them to seek either self employment or employment in certain establishments. This has to be done keeping in mind the aptitude of the youth and the needs of such skills for the occupation. The emphasis should be on making every youth educated and economically self dependent as early as possible. This can be achieved by having structured vocational training programmes adjacent to Karunya Nilayam. This will facilitate their rehabilitation in various fields such as nursing teaching, tailoring, carpentry, auto repair, fashion designing, handicrafts etc. This is a stage in which the youth can be sent to some Youth Hostels.

Towards a quality life

When the children have become independent Karunya Nilayam should become a "Home away from home" for many of the inmates who have found new rehabilitation avenues. The Karunya Nilayam as well as the inmates should maintain their umbilical connection and be of mutual help to each other. This connectivity with the Karunya Nilayam should remain so that the youth are able to support the activities of the Nilayam financially and psychologically. This will enable the new entrants to draw fresh inspiration and confidence to overcome the obstacles and inhibitions and prepare themselves for carving out a better future.

Conclusion

I would like to describe an incident which took place in Rashtrapati Bhavan. On 27th November 2003, I met about 1000 differently challenged children, who were taking part in the Abilympics. They were extremely enthusiastic to visit Rashtrapati Bhavan and the environment gave them happiness. To that gathering, I recited a small poem, which runs like this:

We are all God's children, Our minds are stronger than diamond. We will win, win, win with our mighty will. God is with us who can be against!

On hearing this, a boy from Iran by name Mustafa came to me, who didn't have both legs and was fitted with artificial limbs. He thrust a paper in my hand. He had written a beautiful poem titled "Courage", in Persian language. It reads like this:

Courage

I don't have legs.

My mind says: Don't weep, don't weep

For, I need not bow even in front of a King.

I was really moved by the positive thinking of that boy. It shows his courage to face the life with optimism. I am sure all the inmates of Karunya Nilayam will also have the same optimism in facing the challenges of life. I wish all of you to carry this message to make your life meaningful. I am happy to inaugurate the "Light of Life" project of Karunya Nilayam.

My best wishes to all member of Karunya Nilayam for success in their mission of mitigating the pains of the poor.
May God bless you.