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Amen Jamir, an organiser of a cancer awareness event, the Protect Your Mom campaign, speaking at the launch of the campaign in Dimapur.[/caption]
Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, May 26: Awareness about breast cancer is still low in Nagaland. Most women ignore it till it spreads and becomes fatal. To publicise the health concern that is cancer and to fight it a programme to encourage donation of hair and a thematic campaign “Protect Your Mom” was conducted on Sat. May 26 at Lighthouse Church, DC Court in Dimapur. This is believed to be the first of its kind in the state.
The initiative to launch this campaign was taken by a concerned citizen, Amen Jamir. In her address during the event, she said that the Protect Your Mom campaign was founded by Premi Mathew in 2013, a cancer survivor.
Jamir said she wanted to do something for cancer patients as her mother died of breast cancer too. She found Mathew through social media and that was how her endeavour came about, she said and urged citizens to spread publicity about the disease.
Most cancer patients lose their hair due to chemotherapy and many can’t afford wigs. This leads to loos of their self-esteem. According to Jamir, the campaign for hair donation was initiated so that it would be made into wigs to be donated to cancer patients. She has requested citizens to donate hair. She said to have pledged to be a lifetime donor.
During the programme, ten women donated their hair. The highlight of it was a six-year-old girl who also donated her hair. Certificates were awarded to them.
The programme also saw the attendance of two cancer survivors Ahimsa Zhimomi and Narola Longchari.
In her address Zhimomi said that despite knowing that she had a lump in her breast she didn’t go for tests. Eventually when she did she had found out that it was cancer. Zhimomi stressed on the need for people not to have self pity. Rather, they should undergo all the necessary treatments. She said that patients have to accept the fact that they are cancer patients. It was implied that patients accepting their condition was one way of making the treatment more effective. She said that in order to fight cancer one needs to have positive thinking; acceptance of the reality of the ailment, and a thought that cancer is not a curse but a disease.
Likewise, Longchari said to have taken a blood test in January 18 the previous year. On Jan.19, she came to know that she had cancer. She emphasised on the importance of teamwork. She said that she wouldn’t have come out of the disease had her husband and children not cared for her. “Are your parents suffering? Are your friends and relatives sufferings? Don’t leave them alone but care for them,” she said.
Coping with the emotional and psychological effects of cancer like depression and anxiety can be difficult. Just as cancer affects health, it can also bring up a wide range of feelings. It can make existing feelings seem more intense. Emotional support or any support of family members and friends can help cancer patients cope more efficiently with the disease.
The PYM campaign was launched to fight against cancer and support for cancer patients. It is said that about four lakh people lose their lives every year because they detect cancer too late. Statistically, one out of eight women is at risk of breast cancer. Early detection can increase survival rates to 95%. So, this mission aims to ensure that children insist their mothers check for lumps and early signs of breast cancer every month.