Karan Sonawane was 6 years old when he and his family were admitted to St Judes having received the terrible news their son had cancer.
Like many of the families who come from remote and rural settings such as Karan’s, they had a limited understanding of what their son’s diagnosis meant. Fortunately, they were brought to Tata Memorial Hospital and gained admission to St Judes Centre (M11) in Mumbai
The family, who were financially disadvantaged, found the experience both upsetting and unsettling and were apprehensive about what the future held. With encouragement from the staff at St Jude, along with the family’s commitment to learn, real progress was made and the family settled into to life at the centre. Unaccustomed to modern living, the family learnt many essentials we take for granted. From learning how to use a toilet, cooking on a gas stove, cleaning their unit and understanding personal hygiene, both the family and Karan blossomed.
Staff and a St Jude’s Counselor taught Karan’s parents to read and write which helped them understand their son’s condition better. They showed huge dedication towards Karan’s health and emerged as a role model for other families in the center. The combination of dedicated staff and hygienic accommodation provided by St Jude, saw a lasting and positive change for this wonderful family. We are delighted to report Karan’s treatment is going very well and he is undergoing his 4th Maintenance cycle.
