By Shelby Washington
When a child is undergoing cancer treatment, the family’s journey can be long and uncertain. At the Cancer Hospital and Research Institute in Gwalior, India, many families travel from rural communities across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for lifesaving care.
Treatment often requires multiple cycles of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, forcing patients and their loved ones to stay near the hospital for long periods of time.
However, the hospital had limited accommodations, leaving some loved ones with nowhere to sleep. Before the Lions stepped in, some family members were even seen sleeping on benches in the hospital garden.
Local Lions came together to provide a safe and comfortable place for them to stay. With a US$150,000 Childhood Cancer Grant from Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), Lions constructed a hostel for children with cancer and their families on the hospital campus. Located less than 100 meters from the hospital, the hostel allows families to remain close to their children throughout treatment and between appointments.
The new building includes four large halls with 45 beds and 19 double rooms with space for an additional 38 people.Altogether, the hostel can accommodate up to 30,295 people a year. The facility is equipped to offer chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy and other forms of cancer care.
“Childhood cancer is dreadful and it can affect the financial position of the entire family of a child who is ill,” said Past District Governor and Grant Administrator Roshan Lal Sethi.
To alleviate some financial stress, eligible children can also receive free treatment through government-supported healthcare programs, helping reduce the financial strain on their families.
Lions Clubs of Gwalior, Gwalior Jagat and Gwalior Jashn worked together to complete the project. Beds, tables and chairs were purchased with support from Lions and their families, while the Cancer Hospital and Research Institute provided nearly 7,000 square feet of land for the building. A nearby community kitchen also serves affordable meals to patients and their caregivers with help from Lions and other local organizations.
For families already carrying the emotional and financial burden of childhood cancer, the hostel provides a secure place to rest, remain together and focus on the health of their children.
The hostel supports the work of the 250-bed Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, which has served patients in the region since 1977. During the reporting year, the hospital treated 85 children with cancer and provided counseling and early-detection screenings to approximately 850 children. “We are grateful to LCIF, who helped us implement this project for the benefit of childhood cancer patients,” said PDG Roshan Lal Sethi.
The finished building proudly displays Lions and LCIF signage, reminding every family who enters that they are not facing childhood cancer alone.
Projects like these show how grant-funded service projects strengthen communities. Through this LCIFChildhoodCancerGrant, Lions created a place where families can stay close, find comfort and hold on to hope during one of the most difficult times of their lives.
Learn more about how these grants empower Lions to improve the quality of life for children receiving treatment and their families at lionsclubs.org/childhood-cancer-grant