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By Damiete Braide
The Children Living With Cancer Foundation (CLWCF), on Saturday hosted a Christmas party for children and parents at the Alima Atta Oncology Centre, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos.
Dr. Nneka Nwobbi, founder, CLWCF, said; “We have organised a Christmas party for the children every year, for the past 18 years, because it is a time for giving, to show love. And every child deserves to have as much fun as he/she desires to have.
“We also ensure that everybody has a good time because it is very necessary and it takes the stress off one, which is part of the healing process.
“My advice to the children during this period is for them to be as good as possible as they can. They should try as much as possible to be nice not only to themselves but to other people around them. We have children from other places come to visit children in the ward, just to show them love.
“Loving one another, especially during this Christmas period, is essential. Nothing heals like love. When you help somebody else, you are helping yourself because it gives you that happy feeling.
“We gave the children food, toys, and books because one of the ways to escape from one’s pain is through reading and immersing themselves in another world. They can escape to anywhere in the world with the right book and you travel to where they have never been through reading.
“You learn about other people. The younger ones appreciate books and I am happy to see children go for books that they can relate to.”
Mrs. Esther Adebayo, parent of a cancer survivor, said: “It is the usual practice for Dr. Nwobbi to host the Christmas party every December. The party is for parents and children to come together and be happy.
“I will never forget CLWCF because they helped me when my son was admitted in the ward in 2013/2014. All the drugs that my son used, they provided for my son. I pray that God gives her more strength to continue to do what she has been doing for the children.”
Agu Kelechukwu Esther, a 13-year-old cancer survivor, said: “We celebrated with children living with cancer by bringing gifts. We appreciate the founder for all the things she has done for children living with cancer.
“I encourage children in the wards not to give up. They should always trust God who will heal them completely.”
