By Shriya Mehta
Project RISHI (Rural India Social and Health Improvement) is a student-run
nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the sustainable development and
growth of rural Indian communities. For the past 8 months, our team has been collaborating
with CanKids KidsCan, an India-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the
treatment, care, and support of pediatric cancer patients and their families. CanKids
KidsCan provides medical assistance, housing, emotional support, advocacy, and access to
education to families as their children undergo cost-free treatment, while also working to
enhance pediatric oncology healthcare systems nationally. Our project involves renovating
the ambulatory care clinic and recovery room within the Delhi CanKids KidsCan
headquarters, with a focus on creating a child-friendly and emotionally supportive
environment for patients to recuperate in.
On March 1st, 2025 to March 7th, 2025, five members of Project RISHI’s team
traveled to Delhi, India to visit the CanKids KidsCan facility. During this week-long trip,
our team worked with the on-site psychologists to engage in activities with patients and
their families. Some activities included coloring, bracelet-making, origami, charades,
pictionary, cards, etc. with a goal of interacting with the patient population to take their
mind off their cancer treatment. We hoped to further understand the interests and needs of
the patient population in the space we plan to renovate in order to tailor our final designs
accordingly. We also traveled to Safdarjung Hospital and Kalawati Hospital to see
first-hand what pediatric oncology wards look like and how patients receive chemotherapy
and surgical treatments. It was eye-opening to see how crowded the facilities were and how
standards of care in India are vastly different from the USA. Additionally, we also met with
our pro-bono architect team and the CanKids KidsCan board of directors to finalize
renovation designs and its accompanying timeline, with a goal to complete renovations by
May 2025.
The BLI Habits of “Expect Challenges” and “Start Small” truly resonated with us
during our visit. Given that none of our team members could speak the local language,
Hindi, fluently, we expected our primary challenge to be our inability to communicate with
the patients and their families directly. However, we remained open-minded and determined
to overcome this challenge by working intensively with the on-site psychologists and site
managers to engage in meaningful conversations with the patients and get to know them on
a personal basis. While we were initially hesitant that our language barrier would prevent us
from interacting with the children, it became abundantly clear that actions alone had more
power than we initially assumed. All it took was a simple high-five or a few minutes of
coloring to break the ice, then the children would play as if we were their lifelong friends,
rather than some strangers they were introduced to a few minutes ago. This showed us that
we could start with small actions to create a positive difference in someone’s life. It was
insightful to witness the friendships that were forming not just between the patients and us,
but also within the patient community at the facilities.
There is no doubt that a battle against cancer is unimaginably difficult for children; not only are they uprooted from their communities but they are also thrown into a seemingly endless string of scary procedures
and treatments. Support from others is critical in this journey and may be most beneficial
and earnest when it comes from individuals that are fighting the same battle as you.
Another unexpected, yet meaningful experience for our team was observing parents
engage in the activities we planned for the children. Parents are often told to be strong and
optimistic role models for their children, especially when they are sick. However, parents’
needs, including their physical, emotional, and financial stress is often overlooked when
their child is undergoing treatment. While we had focused our attention on engaging in
activities with the pediatric patients, older parents and siblings of the patients showed great
interest in joining our group coloring, games, and LEGO making. By involving them in the
activities, family members were able to decompress and focus on their mental well-being.
Moreover, we all noticed how joyful parents became when they saw their children laughing
and playing, cherishing these simple yet meaningful moments of connection that we often
take for granted in our everyday lives.
Overall, Project RISHI’s trip to Delhi helped foster valuable interactions and
priceless memories with the CanKids KidsCan pediatric patients and their families, as well
as provide us with the necessary tools and conversations to help us progress our renovation
project forward. I can say, with confidence, that this trip was undoubtedly unforgettable for
our travel team, especially as we are all pre-medical students, and one that we will cherish
as we become future physicians.
Please note: all pictures of patients and their families were taken with permission
from CanKids KidsCan’s Board of Directors and their respective care teams.
