Leukaemia Project

Established: 1988

The GOS Leukaemia Project provides essential medicines, supplemental nutrition and financial assistance towards diagnostics and transportation for children who are under treatment for Leukaemia and other blood disorders at the Department of Haematology, Government Children’s Hospital, Chennai. Today we have 1000 children at different stages of blood cancer (Leukaemia), and other blood disorders under the project who come for treatment from various districts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. These patients are between the ages of 1-12 years and mostly children of daily-wage workers.

Despite many medical concessions offered by the government, the disease poses challenges at many levels due to the intensity and duration of the treatment and the financial burden imposed on the parents who have to leave their jobs in order to attend to the child. In many cases, despite the best efforts of the doctors, the child succumbs to the disease as a result of a delay in diagnosis due to the lack of awareness or access to medical facilities in more remote areas. The Government provides 50% concession to cancer patients and 1 escort on all Govt. buses and trains, but frequent visits to the hospital particularly in the early stages of treatment, requires the parents to spend a substantial amount on transport alone, which is where our assistance with such expenses benefits them. The Leukaemia Project reimburses all transport, medicine, scan and testing expenses. Additionally, we provide treats like biscuits and toys to all our beneficiaries along with a home-made nutritional porridge mix and special aids like bags, bed sheets, flasks, shawls etc each month. On an average 150-160 children visit our office every month.

In 2019, we started an Aftercare facility on our campus called ‘Sunshine Aftercare Centre’ for children who have undergone Bone Marrow Transplant. We have two rooms where the child can stay free of cost with his/her mother for a period of 3-4 months of recuperation and hospital follow up. 14 children who underwent BMT have stayed at our centre since its inception in 2019 and have since returned home. Our counsellors visit the Centre to interact with the children. We also train the mothers in wire basket weaving, should they be interested in earning a small income from this vocation during their stay at the centre.  The women can continue making these baskets once home and earn an income by selling it locally.

The Unit also provides potable drinking water at the Haematology ward and has a toy bank for the in-patients. The paediatric wards have been painted with cheerful  cartoon characters to liven up the sombre hospital atmosphere. The Unit also tries and provides any special requirements in the ward such as hand sanitisers for each bed, bedsheets, mats etc or any other item as requested by the hospital authorities.

The Leukaemia project works with the Leukaemia afflicted child as the care beneficiary and assists the entire family by providing financial, educational and moral support.

K.Sruthi who hails from Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Despite chemotherapy, her condition did not show any improvement. She was then referred for Bone Marrow transplant with her father as a partially matched donor. After her BMT at V.S Hospital, she was referred to the GOS Leukaemia Project’s Sunshine Aftercare Centre for recuperation. Due to fluctuating blood counts, she stayed for more than the stipulated 3 months stay at the centre. She had to undergo frequent blood transfusions as the marrow transplant was still not successful. However, the regular diet, medical follow up and serene atmosphere at the centre helped Sruthi to recover and return home as a healthy young teenager.

S.Pritish is a 4-year-old boy who had Neuroblastoma (stage IV) and was treated at the Government Children’s Hospital. He was the first patient to undergo a Bone Marrow transplant at the Rajiv Gandhi Govt. Hospital. He underwent autologous marrow transplant and was referred to the GOS Leukaemia Project’s Sunshine Aftercare Centre for recuperation. Pritish was discharged as a healthy boy after three months of stay in July 2022. He comes every month for follow up and medication.

S.Selva had Fanconi Anemia -the most common form of inherited aplastic anemia. He had become severely under-nourished and unable to walk. He underwent BMT surgery at V.S Hospitals through an unrelated matched donor from DHATRI. Following the surgery, he was referred to the GOS Leukaemia Project’s Sunshine Aftercare Centre for follow-up and rehabilitation. With the help of a donor, we were able to get a walker and Selva was encouraged to walk at first on his toes. The nutritious food provided at the centre enabled him to recover and walk independently. He was discharged as fit and healthy in January 2022. He continues to visit us whenever he comes for his medical follow up at the Govt. Children’s Hospital.

R.Vevithasri had Fanconi Anemia and due to her decreased number of blood cells required frequent blood transfusions. She continued treatment at the Govt. Children’s hospital for almost 1 year after which she was referred for a Bone Marrow Transplant surgery with her younger brother as a complete matched donor. The surgery was done at V.S Hospitals, Chetpet under the guidance of Dr.Aruna Rajendran. Following surgery, she stayed at the GOS Leukaemia Project’s Sunshine Aftercare Centre for 3 months for post-operative follow up. She completed her treatment and went home as a normal girl in March 2020 . She continues to come to the Children’s Hospital every 3 months for her follow up.

Annual sponsorship of a sick child: Rs.2000

Sponsor a PET scan for a child: Rs.11000

Sponsor a Bone marrow transplant compatibility test for a child: Rs.16000

Sponsor a Bone Marrow Transplant expense for a child: Rs.25000

Sponsor supplemental nutrition for 100 children: Rs.13000/ month

Sponsor a patient stay at the Sunshine Aftercare Centre: Rs.5000/ month

Our Address:

18 Casa Major Road,

Chennai – 600 008

Email id:- goscentral@yahoo.in

Phone no: 044 – 2819 4828