No images? Click here

CANSA TLC Brings Relief to Children with Cancer

#CANSAtlc #CANSAcares

CANSA's Tough Living with Cancer (CANSA TLC) service supports parents and children / teens affected by cancer. The CANSA TLC Port, Broviac and Assistive Devices Programme was initiated 16 years ago when it became apparent that children needed practical, as well as emotional support while undergoing treatment. We are grateful to our donors who have made this support possible and are always looking for more, who believe in our work and help us support more families through their cancer journey.

Our CANSA TLC lodges remain open - TLC Kids doing floor art during lockdown

One of the biggest needs identified regarding practical support to children / teens was the need for a less painful and traumatic experience, through ports / broviacs, while receiving chemotherapy and medications. A port (or port-a-cath) is a small medical appliance that is installed beneath the skin. A catheter connects the port to a vein. Under the skin, the port has a septum through which medicine can be injected and blood samples can be drawn many times, usually with less discomfort for the child than a more typical “needle stick”.

Chest X-ray showing an implanted port

Children and teenagers go through so much when they have cancer, we want to help them get through this with dignity and pain control is a priority for us.

The other practical issue was the need for prosthetics and assistive devices that could positively alter a child's life once they had recovered from cancer. Items like prosthetic eyes, wheel chairs, and prosthetic legs, made the world of difference to children trying to reintegrate into society after a removal of a body part, and the CANSA TLC Port, Broviac and Assistive Devices Programme has helped many children with this.

Recently, during March and April 2020, through our generous donors: the Vlok Family Portocathether Fund; the King Baudoin Foundation and the Tyler Sassman Foundation, we were able to support 30 children with the ports / broviacs to the value of R150 000, that they so desperately needed. The ports / broviacs were handed over to Frere Hospital in East London; Port Elizabeth Provincial Hospital; Steve Biko Academic Hospital; Dr George Mukhari General hospital in Ga-Rankuwa and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.

During the lockdown CANSA’s TLC Lodges for children and families affected by cancer in Pretoria and Polokwane remain operating with protective measures and support via phone and online platforms. The Lodges enable parents staying far away from treatment facilities, to be with their children, while they are receiving treatment. Parents / guardians of children / teens with cancer can also join our CANSA TLC – Childhood Cancer Facebook Support group.

We are thankful to Curro for their patronage of our TLC videos. Curro was inspired to support CANSA TLC by Nelson Mandela's quote: “History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of our children"

Anyone wishing to get involved in supporting our CANSA TLC Port, Broviac and Assistive Devices Programme and TLC Lodges can make an online donation. Your support will mean so much to children / teens fighting cancer, and to their loved ones.

DONATE VIA SNAPSCAN