The Tata Memorial Hospital’s ImPaCCT (Improving Paediatric Cancer Care and Treatment) Foundation. Children come to this hospital for cancer treatment. Ameeta Bhatia, volunteer social worker at the hospital’s paediatric department,said that During the cancer treatment, many lose confidence in themselves. Many students miss out a year of school and miss out on their education as well because of the pain and the stress. Some children stop talking to family members and just enjoying their life. They think they can not do anything. 

Some children think that if they take part in sports they will fall more sick. So they stop playing games and taking part in sports. 

Since 2014, The Tata foundation has encouraged children to participate in the World Children’s Winners Games held in Moscow.  These games are specially for young cancer survivors. The foundation believed that if they participate in the games and won this would increase their confidence. These games were held on 4 July -7 July 2019 in Moscow, Russia. Ameeta accompanied the children to Moscow.  A total of 10 students from the country in the age group of 7-16 years participated and all of them secured medals at the Games. 7 were gold medals. The winners won in different age categories and teams of boy and girls. 

The medals were won in shooting, football, chess, table tennis, swimming, etc. From Mumbai a 9 year old girl won a gold medal in Chess, a 16 year old boy won a gold medal in rifle shooting, a 13 year old girl won a gold medal in swimming. Santosh Devgharkar from Mumbai said that his son had cancer since he was 2 years old. He had to go through Chemotherapy for three years. When he started going to school he refused to study and did not want to do anything. He said that the competition had a positive impact on his son. His son participated in the games as a swimmer and now his confidence has increased and he is even excited to go to school.   

Tags

• Tata
• Hospital
• Cancer
• Pediatrics

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