Visiting the Children’s Cancer Centre
My experience with cancer is my mother and her struggle with cancer. It is a very different thing to see when there are kids involved. I went to visit a cancer rehabilitation center with my friend Rima from Alir Tirta Batik. She is a cancer survivor and has plenty of experience with chemotherapy and surviving cancer. However, when we sat down with the kids and looked around all we saw were happy smiling faces. Seeing a child with scars on their legs from an operation is one thing but knowing they have had four operations is something else. One child has been at the center for four years.
Yayasan Peduli Kanker Anak
The purpose of the centre is: A charity for kids with cancer. Their website is… https://ypkabali.or.id/. While I was at the centre I met Emi. Of course when it comes to any charity one has doubts. So of course we asked many questions. The centre has been in operation for ten years. There are often up to 30 children at the centre for various illnesses. From leukemia to tumors and to various operations and chemotherapy.
What is interesting about this particular centre is, that there are kids here from many neighboring islands. Keep in mind that many small islands do not have adequate medical care. Not every island has a fully equipped hospital and therefore they come to Bali to the https://ypkabali.or.id/. What blew us away is that not only the children come to the centre but their parents as well.
The kids and the parents are all welcome to the centre as some kids are as young as 5 years old. The oldest one is 14 years old and while the kids and families come and go… The point is that it is a family affair and some kids have formed amazing friendships during the process.
Running the Operation
We asked what the operational costs are and what is included in those operational costs. This cost is very low by North American Standards… $3000 per month is a low operational cost that we could not even imagine running such a large operation on such a low budget. The kids and the families all stay at this one 4-story building in the capital city of Bali, Denpasar.
The stay includes food, medicine and lodging as well as the cleaning and maintenance of the facility. Cooking and cleaning are handled as a group as is looking after the children. Electrical costs are quite high in general and it is one of the top costs along with monthly wages and then food and water. They rely on donations from individuals, local establishments, and small businesses.
It is amazing to see the organization and the effort that goes into saving lives and making the stay of all these children as comfortable as possible. If you are reading this and made it to the end, please make an effort to visit the centre. Donate what you can so this cancer centre for children may keep saving lives for years to come.
