A shelter with a difference

About ten months ago, her disease was detected.

But before that, Taiba's mother had hectic time trying to identify the disease consulting traditional village doctors or Kabiraj who had diagnosed it as skin-allergy.

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"Taiba suffered from frequent illness which could not be properly diagnosed. A neighbour advised me to take her to a local hospital where doctors identified her illness as blood cancer," said Taiba's mother who hails from Brahmanbaria.

Taiba, now visually impaired from the side effects of radiation, still has a few more cycles of the drugs she is now receiving.

She is availing the costly treatment staying free of cost at a shelter known as ASHIC (A Shelter for Helpless Ill Children), a non-profit organisation that started its journey in 1994 in memory of Ashic who also died from blood cancer.

About six thousand children, mostly under ten years of age, develop blood cancer in the country a year but only a few can get treatment at the BSMMUH, the only hospital in the country where nine beds are allotted for children surviving cancer.

"Most of the survivors and their parents cannot afford to stay in the capital as cancer treatment often takes months. So we decided to establish a 'home' where the survivors and their guardians can stay while availing treatment," said Salma Chowdhury, founder chairperson of ASHIC Foundation.

Salma said, "We have a dream to establish a hospital-cum-home where children along with their parents can stay free of cost and at the same time avail treatment. But a suitable land is the main problem we are facing."

She said as a blood cancer patient survives very short period of time unless he or she receives any anti-cancer drugs, the government should give more attention to them.

On the occasion of the third International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) which was observed globally on Sunday, the ASHIC Foundation organised a press briefing at its shelter in Central Road where ten children surviving blood cancer are now being taken care free of cost.

"I hope to take my son back home fully cured," said one father of a survivor staying at ASHIC shelter being unaware of the fact that blood cancer in Bangladesh is generally detected at a very late stage which means survivors can stay healthy only by taking regular anti-cancer drugs which are very costly.

The foundation has also established play centre and organised field trips for the survivors.

It has so far provided shelter to over two hundred survivors.

ASHIC is a member of the International Confederation of Childhood Cancer Parent Organisations (ICCCPO) and earned recognition of many international organisations for its outstanding work in this field.