The song was not perfect. But, looking at the audience, one would think they were listening to an accomplished singer. The applause that followed was befitting a musical genius.
Each of the children who got on stage to perform at the Regional Science Centre (RSC) auditorium on Sunday morning was made to feel special. And that is what ‘Punarjani’ is about.
A get-together of children who have survived leukaemia and those in the last stages of cancer treatment, Punarjani is a yearly event organised by C4CCCI (Caring for Childhood Cancer and Chronic Illnesses).
“We aim to give these children under treatment and their parents a positive outlook about life ahead. Meeting survivors gives them hope that a normal life is possible after all the hardships,” said Vijayalakshmi, a C4CCCI volunteer.
RSC project coordinator Manas Bagchi opened the celebrations while the presence of celebrities such as actors Vinod Kovoor and Pradeep Balan and singer Shreya Jaideep lightened up the faces of children. Founder Director of Institute of Pallitiave Medicine (IPM) K. Suresh Kumar released the Punarjani magazine featuring the works of children undergoing treatment at the Institute of Maternal and Children’s Health (IMCH). The children took over the stage after some time with their impromptu comic numbers and songs.
The C4CCCI was founded in 2007 under the aegis of the IMCH and the IPM. Since then, the organisation has been part of the lives of the children admitted in IMCH with chronic illnesses, providing them emotional support, recreation and ensuring their continued education besides financial and material help whenever needed.