Apollo hospital felicitates child cancer survivors

New Delhi, March 9 (IANS) Indraprastha Apollo Hospital celebrated its Braveheart Annual Day on Monday by felicitating child cancer survivors.

The ceremony was attended by both, children who successfully underwent the cancer treatment as well as their parents besides the hospital management.

An 11-year-old cancer survivor got emotional, saying, "One year back the days were not the usual ones for me with the pain I was going through. My friends were not happy to play with me. My mother always cried and papa looked tense. But now, I can go to school and play in the society park just like others."

Another cancer survivor, a class VIII student, took the mic and drew everyone's attention by sharing his current status of a national level 10 meter Rifle Shooter.

According to Dr Amita Mahajan, Senior Consultant, pediatrics Oncology and Hematology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, "Cancer is hitting Indian children quite hard with almost 3-5 percent of childhood cancer cases of the total reported in a year. But it is possible to achieve very high success rates in India if all stakeholders come together. Every child has the right to receive treatment that gives him the best chance of cure. Today, this is feasible because of the tremendous support from governmental and non-governmental sources. Above all, the positivity, courage and resilience that these young fighters and their families show against all odds inspire us to make it possible for them to receive the best possible treatment despite all constraints."

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