Lions Club of Colombo (Host) and Sri Lanka Medical Association of North America serve together through ‘Hope for Children’
Rs. 7 million worth of lifesaving medicine donated to-date
The Lions Club of Colombo (Host) in partnership with the Sri Lanka Medical Association of North America (West Coast) (SLMANA) serve together through ‘Hope for Children’, a breakthrough initiative aimed at providing access to lifesaving medication for children battling cancer.
Children are a gift to the world, yet every two minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer and less than half of the world’s children have access to effective care. Children who survive cancer are often left with debilitating effects that can impact their physical development and ability to learn.
Given its drastically debilitating impact, Pediatric Cancer is one of 5 key Service Areas for Lions and Leos worldwide, which Lions Clubs International has rallied around internationally in order to expand access to life- saving treatment and support the children and families who need the most help and to work to give children with cancer a second chance at life.
Notably, the work that has already been done in Sri Lanka through the Lions Club of Colombo (Host) for the benefit of children from impoverished families suffering from cancer commenced prior to the adoption of Pediatric cancer as a key pillar by Lions Clubs International.
The Hope for Children project was initiated in 2016 when the club developed a comprehensive proposal for evaluation by the SLMANA following extensive discussions with local doctors in charge of Pediatric Oncology Units.
These discussions revealed that many of the key drugs required for treatment of children afflicted by cancer were often out-of- stock or unavailable due to the high costs of the drugs. Consequently, the project places a particular emphasis on supporting the vital day-to-day medical needs of these children, including the donation of vital medicine and lifechanging prosthetic limbs to children afflicted by cancer.
Following the hosting of a fundraiser organized by the SLMANA in California on 1st October 2017 which partnered with Lions Club of Colombo to illustrate the various challenges facing children diagnosed with cancer, including interviews with the head of a major Pediatric Oncology Unit as well as a mother of a child receiving treatment at the hospital enabled SLMANA to raise triple the expected amount of funding for the Hope for Children cancer project.
The first donation of medicines was made in January 2017 with a contingent from SLMANA traveling to Sri Lanka for the inaugural donation. Periodic donations of lifesaving medication has been carried out since then to the Pediatric Oncology Unit and the value of medicine donated through this project to date exceeds Rs. 7 million ; donations will be made until pledged funds are utilized.
Both the Lions Club of Colombo (Host) and the Sri Lanka Medical Association of North America (SLMANA – West Coast) hope that they would be able to raise more funds for the benefit of children suffering from cancer through the Hope for Children project.
Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service organization with over 1.4 million members working towards the motto of ‘ We Serve’ In addition to serving locally, Lions and Leos support 5 global service areas: vision, hunger, the environment, pediatric cancer and diabetes. The Lions Club of Colombo (Host), the first club in Sri Lanka has been carrying out far reaching service programs since 1958. Follow them at https://www.facebook.com/colombohostlions/
Media Contact:
Lion Shyana Jayalath, President Lions Club of Colombo (Host)
Shyana.wijayaratne@gmail.com