15 February 2021 on World Childhood Cancer Day Indira Cancer Trust launches Suwa Arana – Paediatric Housing & Paediatric Palliative Care Centre

February the 15th is World Childhood Cancer Day. Every year, in Sri Lanka, around 750 children are newly diagnosed with cancer; almost all of these children are treated at the paediatric department of the Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama.  Most of the children seen at Apeksha Hospital have blood cancers, but children with cancers of the brain, bone, liver, kidneys and eyes are also seen.

Indira Cancer Trust (Registration No 07-47) was set up in memory of Indira Jayasuriya, the daughter of former speaker Hon Karu Jayasuriya, who passed away in November 2016 from breast cancer at the age of 40 years. She was a mother of two young children and her story of courage, bravery and sacrifice as a mother moved the world. Indira Cancer Trust today has grown into an organization supporting patients with cancer and their families through a volunteer base of over 500.

Suwa Arana will serve as the first centre for paediatric palliative care in Sri Lanka in addition to also providing accommodation for children with cancer. It is aimed at providing an optimal healing environment to stimulate and support the inherent healing capacity of children, families and their care providers. This building will have 6 floors and contains 32 individual family rooms situated on 4 floors, together with a roof top garden and a ground floor for dining and a recreational area. The dining area is also designed for families to sit together and have a meal and a garden area with seating, as true healing comes from nature. A specialized kitchen is available for optimal food service to provide a nutritional ‘home cooked’ meals as per the requirements of the patients and their family members.

Each patient floor is customized for patient comfort and optimal healing environment offering 8 rooms on each floor and a common area for recreational activities and a nurse’s station. The rooms are also designed to be individualized and focus on healing the child and provide a comfortable setting for the family. Each bedroom has all the facilities including en suite bathroom with disability access, sofa, cupboards and beds for the family and the child. The balcony leading from the bedroom will feature greenery and a soothing view. Some rooms are also designed with moveable walls in case of a need to accommodate larger family gatherings.

The Indira Cancer Trust will continue its operation supporting patients with cancer both adult and paediatric through their administrative office situated on the first floor of the building. The current 20 programs operational at Sri Lanka including Sri Lanka’s first helpline for cancer, wig donation, livelihood development, financial aid, counseling, relaxation programs as well as support for investigations and medications, will continue to be operational.

The roof top garden is done to promote healing in line with the belief of holistic care and the healing powers of the outdoors. There will be different areas within the garden that inspire, renew spirits and bring a sense of peace, serenity and healing. This will also be the area where special programs will be conducted including yoga, meditation, music & art therapy.

Suwa Arana was initiated with the belief that families are stronger when they are together and the love and support of a family is as powerful as the strongest medicine prescribed. That is why Suwa Arana will allow children to get the best care while allowing families to battle the illness together.

Suwa Arana has the physical setting and an organizational culture that supports patients and their families through a process of healing.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honestcompliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around”