Dad is doing his bit for charity so much – and ups awareness
INDERJIT AND FAMILY ARE GIVING SOMETHING BACK TO MACMILLAN
A FATHER with incurable cancer is raising money for a charity which has helped him, while also working to stop the disease being treated as a “taboo” subject in Asian communities.
Inderjit Bajaj was diagnosed with a rare nasal cancer in 2018. After a course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, he was given the all-clear. But the cancer returned in 2019 and scans showed that it had spread to his lungs.
The 70-year-old is now undergoing another course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to try to shrink the tumours. However, he has been told the cancer is incurable.
Despite the prognosis – and experiencing breathing and mobility problems – Inderjit is busier than ever championing Macmillan in his community.
He and his wife are hosting a takeaway Macmillan coffee morning for more than 100 neighbours and baking cakes for the “incredible” Macmillan nurses at Leicester Royal Infirmary.
‘WE CAN’T THANK THEM ENOUGH’
Inderjit has also been doing outreach work among Asians to raise awareness of cancer and the support Macmillan can offer.
He also volunteers at a food bank to help the homeless.
Inderjit said: “I don’t know how long I’ve got, but I just want to fulfil my life. We were devastated when I got the diagnosis – no-one wants to get that news – but I am feeling quite positive. I’m a fighter.
“I feel like I owe Macmillan because they have been there from day one, when I was diagnosed.
“My Macmillan head and neck nurse Tracy Robinson has been so helpful every step of the way and supported me and my family in every aspect of my life.
“As well as helping me understand the medical side of things, she also organised for me to see a dietician and go to a support group.
“We had a Macmillan befriender, too, who came to help us at home and support us both through a time when we were feeling very overwhelmed with everything.
“It lifted our spirits. We can’t thank them enough.”
Inderjit and his wife Sumon delivered leaflets to more than 100 houses in their area, inviting neighbours to his socially-distanced takeaway Macmillan coffee morning, which took place on Saturday outside his home in Coalville.
Their daughter Gitanjali and sonin-law Paras helped out.
Now the coffee morning is over, Inderjit plans to resume his outreach work.
He said: “Cancer is a taboo subject in many Asian communities. People don’t want to talk openly about it.
“The younger generations are a bit more transparent but people in their 60s and 70s are very traditional and keep things to themselves.
“I have been visiting the Sikh temples and other places of worship, talking to them to raise awareness about Macmillan and the support it can provide in all aspects of everyday life.”
CHARITY NEEDS YOUR HELP
Macmillan says it has never needed the support of people in Leicestershire more, as new figures reveal an expected three-quarter drop in income from its flagship fund-raising event. Last year people in Leicestershire raised £284,200 by taking part in a Macmillan Cancer Support Coffee Morning, to fund its services, including Macmillan nurses and patient grants.
This year, figures show the number of people planning to hold a coffee morning across the county has fallen by 74 per cent, leading to the charity worrying there will be an equivalent fall in money raised.
The picture is similar across the UK, with early figures showing signups are down by about two-thirds (68 per cent).
The £27.5 million raised in 2019 is expected to fall to under £8 million this year, the lowest amount Coffee Morning will have raised in 11 years.
The charity fears its supporters do not realise the event is still going ahead – albeit in a new virtual or socially-distanced format – and is urging people to find out about the new ways to take part.
Francesca Pearson, Macmillan fund-raising manager for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, said: “There has never been a more terrifying time in recent history to receive a cancer diagnosis, with disruption and delays to treatment and fears of increased risk of becoming infected with the coronavirus.
“A huge 98 per cent of Macmillan’s income is from donations and events such as Coffee Morning.
Macmillan and people with cancer have never needed help more than we do right now
Francesca Pearson