World Child Cancer works to improvement treatment standards and raise awareness for childhood cancer in developing countries across the world. Even before being treated for cancer, simply receiving an accurate diagnosis can be a challenge in itself, as was the case for five-year-old Elma.

Elma had developed a fever that had lasted several weeks so her parents decided to visit their local doctor. After an initial assessment, Elma received some antibiotics and returned home with her parents hopeful that she would be happy and healthy soon after, however, this was not the case as Elma’s health continued to deteriorate.

After returning to their local doctor again the family were referred to a private hospital where Elma was diagnosed with leukaemia. The family were immediately transferred to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) for treatment, a hospital that World Child Cancer has supported for several years.

Elma’s family do not earn much, despite this they travelled hundreds of miles away from their home to Dhaka for their daughter to receive treatment. With mounting costs for treatment and travel, Elma’s father has had to return home for work whilst her mother cannot afford accommodation costs in Dhaka so is forced to sleep on the ward floor. The family are trying their best but they are concerned that they will not be able to afford the cost of treatment their daughter so desperately needs.

World Child Cancer supports some of the poorest and most vulnerable families in the world. Every child deserves to have equal access to the best possible treatment and care. Many families are forced to abandon treatment because they simply cannot afford it. With your support, we can change this.

This Ramadan you can change the lives of families like Elma’s and thousands more across Bangladesh.

Sifat is a happy five-year old boy who loves to play and draw with his colouring pencils.  He has been diagnosed with a Lymphoma, for which he will need to receive up to five months of treatment for.  Sifat’s mother is staying with him on the ward while his father stays at home to earn enough money to pay for his son’s treatment.  

Sifat is one of the 9,000 children expected to develop cancer each year in Bangladesh, however is one of the few to receive an accurate diagnosis and gain access to the necessary treatment. By supporting World Child Cancer this Ramadan you can help us to develop sustainable solutions to enable more children, like Sifat, to gain a faster route to better treatment. 

Hasan, like many other five-year-olds, loves to read and immerse himself in stories that allow him to explore new worlds through his imagination. However, for the last few months Hasan’s life has not been as it should.

A few months ago Hasan’s parents noticed he had a fever and after taking him to their local hospital he was diagnosed with typhoid, a disease that can usually be treated with antibiotics. Despite treatment, Hasan’s condition continued to worsen.

His parents, both of whom are teachers, were determined to find out what was wrong with their son so they persisted in taking Hasan to hospital where eventually tests showed signs of cancer. Hasan was immediately transferred to the paediatric oncology ward at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) which World Child Cancer has been supporting for several years.

After finally receiving an accurate diagnosis and the correct treatment, Hasan has now been able to go home, returning to hospital only for regular check-ups. Hasan is excited to go back to school and start reading again.

World Child Cancer is working to raise awareness of childhood cancer among healthcare professionals in Bangladesh. We empower them to gain more knowledge and share their expertise, enabling more children, like Hasan, to have a faster route to better treatment.

Thank you for helping to give children like Hasan the gift of growing up this Ramadan.

Samreen lays in a bed at Dhaka’s Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). As one of the 9,000 children who develop cancer each year, Samreen is one of the lucky few to receive treatment.

Childhood cancer is curable, in developed countries survival rates can be is as high as 80% yet in countries like Bangladesh the chances of a child even receiving an accurate diagnosis let alone survival are far lower, but together we can change this.

Samreen’s mother, Parul, first noticed that she had an extremely high fever when she was just a few months old. Despite her mother’s best efforts in visiting various doctors, her condition did not improve until they eventually reached Nibedita Hospital where Pural heard the words no parent wants to hear, her daughter had cancer.

Following her diagnosis Samreen was referred to the paediatric oncology unit BSMMU where she immediately began to receive treatment. Her parents now hope she will eventually make a full recovery.

World Child Cancer has been supporting BSMMU in helping to improve childhood cancer treatment since 2012. During this time the number of children receiving an accurate diagnosis has doubled.

Donate to give children with cancer the gift of growing up this Ramadan.

Megan Doherty is a Consultant in Paediatric Palliative Care and previously spent three years living in Bangladesh. During this time, Megan worked closely with the paediatric oncology departments at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka Medical College Hospital, National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital, and Dhaka Shishu (Childrens) Hospital.

We got in touch with Megan to find out what life was like when first moving to Bangladesh;

“Despite never visiting Bangladesh before I had been to India so my expectations were for it to be similar with lots of people, dust and for it to be very hot. My first time visiting the country was when I moved there in 2013 and I was immediately impressed by how busy and alive it was, Dhaka really is the city that never sleeps.

“The people there were friendly and curious about where I was from and why I was in Bangladesh. On the streets I would often hear people asking me “Apnar desh ki?” meaning “what is your country”.

From 2013 to 2016, Megan volunteered in Bangladesh, a time during which she describes as being challenging, rewarding and exciting;

“It was an incredible experience to live in Bangladesh for those three years. I learnt so much about how to develop healthcare for children with serious illnesses, specifically cancer and it was also a humbling experience.

“I realised just how difficult it is to do this type of work, especially in countries like Bangladesh where resources are stretched. Without the right medicines, tests or other treatments it is incredible challenging, whilst children and their families struggle with a variety of barriers simply trying to gain access to any treatment at all.

“I loved my time in Bangladesh, and would love to live there again in the future. It is a beautiful and interesting country and I feel that a part of my heart will always be there.

"Whenever I return, which I do every few months, as soon as I step off the plane and breath that first breath of hot humid Dhaka air, I feel in some way that I am home.”

Farjana is an eight-year-old girl who lives in a remote village in the south-east region of Bangladesh. As she sits in hospital, her expression paints a picture of a story that is far too common in the country.

Eight months before this photo was taken, Farjana was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), news which rocked the whole family. Farjana’s parents immediately sought treatment for their daughter but despite her symptoms subsiding, the family were forced to return home as they could not afford the cost of treatment.

Soon after, Farjana’s symptoms returned and the family made the 560km journey to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujab Medical University (BSMMU) where it was confirmed that she had a relapse of ALL.

When a child develops cancer, time is precious. The sooner they receive treatment, the better their chances are for survival. Farjana’s family were forced to wait six months before they could save enough money for the journey. Although recovering again, the worry is that the family will soon be forced to abandon the treatment as they simply cannot afford to bear the costs.

You can help support children like Farjana, and their families, today by providing a faster route to better treatment. This Ramadan, your Zakat and Sadaqa could help a family in Bangladesh as they cope with having a child with cancer.

Al Amin’s happiness shines through as he stands on the bed with his mother, Bushra, who is sharing an increasingly rare moment of joy with her son. Playing with his toy car, Al Amin is just like many other two-year-olds enjoying their childhood.

However, the bed is not theirs and the people surrounding them are not their family. Al Amin and his mother are on the ward at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in Dhaka after he was diagnosed with Wilms’ Tumour.

Al Amin is one of the 9,000 children expected to develop cancer each year in Bangladesh, but is one of the few that receive a diagnosis and gain access to treatment. 

Al Amin’s father and mother are both by his side at whilst he receives chemotherapy. The family own a restaurant in their local village which provides enough income for their living needs but the cost of treatment is difficult to manage. During his treatment, Bushra shares the hospital bed on the ward with her son, whilst Sabbir sleeps in the corridors of the hospital. This is a common sight at BSMMU, where families simply cannot afford rented accommodation. 

There is hope for Al Amin but thousands of other children with cancer may never reach a hospital like BSMMU. We work to raise awareness of childhood cancer in Bangladesh, and in doing so help more children to receive a faster route to better treatment. It took Al Amin four months after his diagnosis to reach BSMMU. With a quicker route to treatment, we can increase the chances of survival for children with cancer. Just £50 could pay for an awareness raising session for parents of children with cancer.

This Ramadan, you can give the gift of growing up to children in Bangladesh. Your support really is changing the lives of children with cancer for the better.