An Associate Professor and Paediatric Ophthalmologist, Prof. Vera A. Essuman, has urged cancer patients not to lose hope in themselves, but continue fighting the disease.
She said cancer treatments were quite tasking on the body and mind of those who have been affected, but patients should not lose hope as the disease was curable.
Prof. Essuman made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency to commemorate the Welfare of Cancer Patients Day celebration.
“On this special day that we commemorate our gallant patients who have fought, or still fighting to survive, I encourage you to never lose hope
“We join you, all parents / families of both survivors and those we lost to childhood cancer such as Retinoblastoma (Eye cancer) to say that together we shall fight on to make the future better for you”.
“We will continue to work to ensure that no child loses his or her life needlessly to cancer.”
She prayed for God’s blessing to the gallant survivors of cancer and also find a peaceful resting place for the heroes and heroines who lost in their fight to survive the disease.
She reiterated that cancer treatments were quite tasking on the body and mind of those who were affected coupled with the financial burden on families.
According to Prof. Essuman, having cancer could undermine ones mental and physical wellbeing.
But by families and caregivers making even the simplest gestures of kindness, each and every one could bring some comfort to patients.
She commended both health professionals and caregivers for their collective efforts to ensure cancer patients succeeded in this fight.
Welfare of Cancer Patients Day, also known as World Rose Day, is celebrated annually on September 22.
It is observed in honour of 12-year-old Melinda Rose from Canada, who was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer known as Askin’s Tumour and her efforts to bring cheer and hope into the lives of other patients, even in the face of her own disease.
“On this day, people around the world work towards bringing cheers and hope into the lives of all those people who have been affected by cancer.
More importantly, it seeks to remind patients and their caregivers, that they are not alone in this battle against the deadly disease.
Even while the doctors had only given her weeks to live, she went on to live for 6 months and spent her time bringing joy and hope to all the diagnosed people around her.
She reached out to all the cancer patients, sharing poems, letters and emails with them, to bring some cheerfulness into their lives.
