The silent cry

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe and Shanika Sriyananda

Events connected to the 79th anniversary of the "Sunday Observer" culminated with a visit to the National Cancer Hospital at Maharagama last week by the Sunday Observer staff.

Medicines for needy infants and children stricken with terminal illness were provided by generous donations by the Sunday Observer staff and funds from the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd, to coincide with the 79th anniversary. The visit to the hospital was a painful reminder of what life is all about for many of us.

The train of thoughts began to run the moment we entered the paediatric wards. There were toddlers and infants cuddled up in beds brought from far away places like Hambantota, Anuradhapura and Kurunegala for treatment, their mothers or grandmothers standing by the bedside keeping vigil all the time.

We were told that the little ones have been brought there for bone marrow tests. What do these toddlers know of bone marrow tests? Their pain and trauma were written all over their faces. Incidently, we were told no bone -marrow transplants were done in Sri Lanka.

Inside the ward there were tiny tots yelling with pain while medicine was being administered. They were quite apprehensive of the visitors, wondering whether they had come to administer injections or give them some bitter pills or syrup.

It was a moment when our hearts sank and started pulsating at the agony of being the parent of a child suffering from a life threatening illness. Most of us were dumbfounded to see the infants undergoing excruciating pain.

We tried to hide our tears from being noticed by others and put up a bold front. Two-year-old 'Kasun' was thin and scraggy. He had dissipated owing to the disease. Lying on the bed most of the time, his eyes were small and he was groaning in pain.

Tears rolling down his cheeks after an injection was administered. The helpless young mother patted his head gently and tried to soothe him.

Kasun's mother said that the baby could not understand why he was there and why he could not straighten up himself. Clad in a blue coloured baby suit he lay on his bed. He had lost his steadiness due to an operation on his head.

A small lump had been removed from the head but another operation was scheduled, to remove the balance part of the lump that had grown in a sensitive area of the head. Screaming in pain he asked for some water. Only his mother understood his commands.

Next to him lay a little baby named 'Amila'. Fair skinned Amila looked pale. The strong drugs had made his tummy big. Despite the pain he smiled innocently and murmured some words.

Amila lives in a remote village and has an elder brother going to school. Suddenly he started crying not because of the pain but due to the want of food. "Babata hariyata badagini wenawa beheth nisa."

"The baby becomes hungry often due to the drugs", said his mother who fed him with rice and a potato curry. His illness had been diagnosed as leukaemia.

Eight-year-old Thilina was a normal child who played with his two elder brothers, until he got a severe pain in one of his legs. He found it difficult to move his leg, with pain and mild fever.

He was admitted to the Nikaweratiya hospital and then to the Kurunegala Hospital. Finally he was transferred to Maharagama where the boy was diagnosed with leukaemia. (Api dan masa hayak vithara wenawa mehe innawa) We are staying here for six months said his grandmother, who undertook the task of looking after him as his mother had to tend to his other brothers.

"He likes to go to school and read books. I do not know why he got this disease", she cried her face drenched in sweat. "What was the sin these children had committed to suffer like this"? she queried.

Several medicines were handed over to the nursing staff at the Roshan Wijesuriya Memorial ward by the Acting Chairman, of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd, Sarath Kongahage.

Present on the occasion were the directors of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. Chaminda Priyashantha (Director Finance), Rasanga Harischandra (Director Legal), Sanjeewa Siribaddana( Director Operations) Editor Sunday Observer, Dinesh Weerawansa, Editor Ceylon Daily News, Bandula Jayasekera, Editor Dinamina Mahinda Abeysundera, Editor Silumina, Karunadasa Sooriararchchi and Editor Thinakaran V. Sivasubramanium.

A research finding published in Sri Lanka has found that the reason for the spread of cancer was due to the excessive use of chemicals in the agricultural sector, not only by pesticides but also fertiliser which is poisonous for living beings.

Statistics show that 13,000 cases of cancer are diagnosed every year but 30-40 per cent of cancer related deaths can be prevented by early detections. A campaign to educate people about the benefits of early screening has been carried out by the national cancer control programme in Sri Lanka.