• Foundation leads awareness to give hope to ailing children

By  Damiete Braide

The Children Living With Cancer Foundation (CLCWF) on Saturday held its 15th annual awareness walk in Lagos to commemorate Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, with the theme “Diagnosis: No Child Left Behind.”

The annual walk, which commenced at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, drew survivors, medical experts, caregivers, members of the foundation, and members of the public who came together to raise awareness on childhood cancer. The event emphasized the importance of early detection, accurate diagnosis, and reducing the financial burden of treatment on families.

Speaking during the event, Dr. Nneka Nwobbi, Founder of the CLCWF, said the foundation has spent 15 years creating awareness and supporting children living with cancer and their families.

“September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and every year we organise activities to sensitize the public. We started the month with the release of gold balloons because gold is the symbolic colour for childhood cancer. We also held a webinar where medical doctors, laboratory scientists, and parents discussed new strategies for early detection and better management of cancer,” she explained.

Dr. Nwobbi said this year’s theme, “Diagnosis: No Child Left Behind,” was chosen to address the growing concern of misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis in Nigeria’s healthcare system, factors that contribute to high mortality rates among children battling cancer.

“We have seen many cases where children are wrongly diagnosed or diagnosed late. One parent from Port Harcourt told us she had spent nearly ₦25 million trying to treat her child due to wrong diagnosis before finally getting the right help. This is heartbreaking and must change,” she lamented.

She also highlighted the achievements of the Childhood Cancer Registry, established two years ago by the foundation to gather data on the number of children diagnosed with cancer, the types of cancer, and treatment outcomes across Nigeria.

“The registry is up and running. It is already helping us to track cases, improve treatment follow-up, and evaluate outcomes, both positive and negative. Having reliable data means we can plan better interventions and advocate effectively for policy changes,” she said.

According to Dr. Nwobi, Lagos State remains at the forefront of childhood cancer treatment in Nigeria, particularly with the establishment of a bone marrow transplant centre at LUTH.

“As a trained counsellor, I work with other trained parents to support families emotionally. We meet monthly to educate parents and healthcare workers. We’ve even held art exhibitions where I showcased cancer-themed artworks to raise funds for treatment. Our counselling and community support sessions bring me great joy,” she added.

She also called on corporate organisations, philanthropists, and individuals to support the cancer registry and other initiatives aimed at improving care for Nigerian children with cancer.

“Awareness should not just be limited to World Cancer Day. It must be a daily effort. When people know the early signs and seek treatment promptly, the chances of survival increase significantly,” she said.

One of the parents, Mrs. Chioma Faith Agu, shared her emotional story of her daughter’s survival from kidney cancer, which began when the child was six years old.“When my child fell ill, I didn’t understand what was wrong. After many tests, we discovered it was kidney cancer at the first stage. The CLCWF supported us financially throughout the treatment at LUTH, and today, my daughter is 16 and completely cancer-free,” she said with gratitude.She urged parents not to ignore warning signs or resort to traditional medicine.“Parents should always take their children to the hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment. Self-medication can be dangerous. Pray, but also seek medical help,” she advised.Also speaking, 13-year-old survivor, Michael Onyewuchi, who battled leukemia, shared his story of courage and hope.“When I was being treated at LUTH, I told my mother not to cry because I knew I would survive. Today, I’m healthy and grateful,” he said, smiling.Dr. Nwobbi concluded by reaffirming the foundation’s commitment to ensuring that every child, regardless of background, gets access to timely diagnosis and proper treatment.“Cancer is not a death sentence. Early detection and awareness can save lives. No child should be left behind,” she stated firmly.