Organization background
Cankids is a charitable organization in India that caters to kids with cancer. Cankids started in 2004 as the Delhi chapter of ICS (Indian Cancer Society), but as of 2012, they decided to start functioning as an autonomous non-profit organization. Around 80-90k children are diagnosed with cancer annually in India, of which 50-60k are treated (Cankids helped around 3k children in the 2011-2012 fiscal year). The type of facilities that Cankids provides include: free medication, place to stay, counseling pre/during/post treatment and also end-of-life palliative care. Not all children are provided with all of these facilities, but they are provided on a need-based basis depending on the poverty level of the applicant. The Government of India also provides a number of health-related subsidies to poor people, but getting money from these subsidies takes a few months time, and unfortunately, once the child has been diagnosed, the most important part of the treatment is in in the first few months, so Cankids steps into this breach and helps them out before they start getting government assistance.

As an example, JDB hospital in Delhi may have 30 children with cancer, of which 25 are referred to Cankids. AIIMS in Delhi may have thousands of children, of whom doctors refer 750 to Cankids for various types of help. Of the 3k children assisted in FY 2011-2012, 500-600 were supported fully for a period ranging from 6mo-2 years, around 1000 children were helped with free medical supplies, and around 1500 children were helped with cancer drugs while they were awaiting support from the government. Of all the children referred to Cankids, 95% received counseling support, 60-70% received some preliminary support (transport expenses, medical and some financial support), and 10-15% received full treatment support.

As part of their full service, Cankids also run a Home-awayfrom-Home (HAH) facility, which are basically residential facilities for the children. They host a maximum of 100-150 children/year in each HAH. As of 2012, there were 2 HAH's (one in Delhi, one in Trivandrum) and they were hoping to open more in Chennai, Vellore etc. Finally, they also offer palliative care for terminally ill children. There is a Cankids transition home with its own doctors and nurses and medical team. They provide pain relief, wound management and comfort at end stage. This is located in Gautamnagar, Delhi, and had not yet started operating as of mid 2012.

Cankids do not own any of the buildings they operate in. The buildings are generally given on long-term lease by owners, and also hospitals. They have tieups with drug manufacturers and are able to get cancer drugs at 1/10 of the cost. Most of the donations they receive go towards buying drugs/social/educational programs. In FY 2011-2012, around 88% of their income was used for these purposes, and Administrative costs took up about 10%. They have 87 paid employees and 130 volunteers.

Project background
Cankids provide help to cancer-stricken children through Cankids Support Units (CSU's), (of which there are 29 across the India). These are set up within Pediatric Cancer Units of mainly (poorly funded) government hospitals with the aim of identifying and filling gaps in the treatment and support of children with cancer and their families. First contact and a systematic assessment of need are normally made through Cankids "Chattai clinics" which form part of CSUs. The support units are housed rather informally (for instance, a CSU may be housed in a room provided by the associated hospital) -- as Cankids does not own any of the property that these units are housed in.

These units were developed based on the observation that providing financial assistance and medical support (although the most important aspect of assistance) is not enough. For children to get better, they need other forms of support - that of a social worker who guides them and their families through the treatment and fulfills information, logistics and financial needs; a counselor who provides the child and parents with therapy; a good nutritionist and nurse to provide sound diet advice, blood support and a child friendly and hygienic environment; and a teacher to keep children learning while under treatment.

Help offered by a CSU includes making clear to often traumatized families that childhood cancer can be treated; strongly promoting the uptake of treatment and discouraging its abandonment (a pervasive problem which is dramatically reduced as a result of Cankids’ activities); funding immediate and ongoing treatment and diagnostics; emotional and psychological support; and educational assistance to ease a child’s return to schooling. Advocacy and awareness regarding childhood cancer is also a basic mission and encompasses hospitals, doctors and nurses as well as parents and other community groups.

Project description
Cankids approached GKF to "adopt" three CSU's in the South India region. They are at the Institute of Child Health (Hematology) in Chennai, the Institute of Child Health (Pediatric Surgery) in Chennai, and the Meenachi Mission at Madurai. GKF will pick up the annual cost of running these 3 units for FY 2012-2013.

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