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C A N K I D S · K I D S C A N N A T I O N A L S O C I E T Y F O R C H A N G E F O R C H I L D H O O D C A N C E R I N I N D I A I S S U E 0 4 M A Y 2 0 2 6 Stories of Care. Milestones of hope, futures in the making — a monthly note to CanKids' partners, donors and champions on the children, families, nurses and clinicians moving India's fight against childhood cancer forward. I N T E R N A T I O N A L N U R S E S D A Y · M A Y 1 2 A n u r s e a t J I P M E R a n d h e r y o u n g p a t i e n t — t h e e v e r y d a y b o n d t h i s i s s u e o p e n s w i t h . 90+ RETINOBLASTOMA CENTRES NATIONWIDE 2,241 CYCLISTS RODE FOR CYCLE FOR GOLD V ₹69L+ RAISED ACROSS THREE LEAD CSR GIFTS 48+3 ANCCEA & KCK AWARDS PRESENTED I N T H I S I S S U E — International Nurses Day — the hand a child remembers — Retinoblastoma Week & the National Conclave 2026 — Kunj & Rita Yadav — from patient family to nurse — A Day Above the Clouds — HAH Chandigarh — Cycle For Gold V — kilometres of cures — ANCCEA 2026 — children who shine like stars — Mother's Day — the foundation of every child's hope — Partners in Hope — every gift helps a child thrive cankidsindia.org CanKids·KidsCan — Because every child deserves a fighting chance Page 01
CanKids · Stories of Care ISSUE 04 · MAY 2026 · PAGE 02 I N T E R N A T I O N A L N U R S E S D A Y · 1 2 M A Y The Hand a Child Remembers A child may not remember every medicine, every test or every procedure. But they remember the nurse who made them smile, held their hand through fear, and stayed when things felt difficult. This May, CanKids honoured these everyday heroes and strengthened paediatric oncology nursing through dedicated workshops in Varanasi and Indore. A ward nurse with her young patient — the face of frontline paediatric oncology care. Every skilled nurse means safer treatment and more compassionate care for children with cancer. Because every skilled nurse means safer treatment, better outcomes, and more compassionate care for children with cancer, CanKids used International Nurses Day to invest directly in the workforce that spends the most hours at a child's bedside — running hands-on paediatric oncology nursing workshops for frontline staff in Varanasi and Indore, covering chemotherapy administration, side-effect vigilance, and the emotional first-response skills nurses use every single shift. Save one life, you're a hero. Save 100 lives, you're a Nurse. ⊕ G L O B A L C O R R E L A T I O N International Nurses Day is an ICN-led global observance held every year on Florence Nightingale's birthday. The 2026 theme, "Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives," centres on how safe working conditions, fair pay, and real professional influence for nurses translate directly into lives saved — not as a tribute, but as a workforce strategy. WHAT IT SIGNIFIES FOR CANKIDS Nurses are the closest daily point of contact a child with cancer has in hospital — administering chemo, tracking side effects, and often the first to calm a frightened child or a panicking parent. CanKids doesn't compete with that clinical role; it sits alongside it, filling the gaps nursing care alone can't close: the cost of treatment, the school year lost, the family with nowhere to stay, the fear no medicine can treat. That makes Nurses' Day a natural moment to publicly honour CanKids' hospital-partner ecosystem — useful messaging for hospital partners, healthcare/pharma CSR donors, and individual givers who already trust nurses as a symbol of care. "Nurses heal the body. CanKids holds the rest."
CanKids · Stories of Care ISSUE 04 · MAY 2026 · PAGE 03 I N T E R N A T I O N A L R E T I N O B L A S T O M A A W A R E N E S S W E E K · 1 0 – 1 6 M A Y With Near 100% Access, A Brighter Future Comes Into View From darkness to light, from fear to hope, and from survival to possibility — India's retinoblastoma journey is proving that every child deserves the chance to see a brighter future. The National Retinoblastoma Conclave 2026, held at the Constitution Club of India, brought together clinicians, survivors and policymakers on the day India crossed 90 treatment centres and near-100% access. A paediatric oncologist with young patients — the clinical backbone behind every access number. More than 150 participants gathered at the National Retinoblastoma Conclave 2026, marking a decade of collective action that has moved India towards near-100% retinoblastoma care through over 90 centres nationwide. Survivors were the focus, standing as living proof that early diagnosis and timely treatment save lives, eyes and vision. "From Darkness to Light" — survivors and families at the Retinoblastoma Forum share their stories. A decade of the Fight Retinoblastoma India movement, celebrated together at the Conclave. The week also featured nationwide awareness activities, survivor-led advocacy and a special programme on All India Radio's Akashvani. The Fight Retinoblastoma India journey was recognised in the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, and featured in the Asia Pacific Pediatric Hematology Oncology Group (APHOG) newsletter. ⊕ G L O B A L C O R R E L A T I O N India's International Retinoblastoma Awareness Week coincides with the globally-run World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week, marked every May since 2007 around one message: a white glow in a child's eye, instead of normal red-eye in a photo, can be the earliest sign of this cancer. The WHO separately targets at least 60% global survival for childhood cancer by 2030. WHAT IT SIGNIFIES FOR CANKIDS India carries one of the world's highest retinoblastoma caseloads, making a near-100%-access network here a genuine proof point for the WHO's 2030 goal — the evidence international foundations and CSR partners look for when deciding where a rupee travels furthest. "What CanKids built for one child, the world is now studying."
CanKids · Stories of Care ISSUE 04 · MAY 2026 · PAGE 04 T H E F I R S T H A N D W E H O L D A Nurse. A Mother. A Survivor's Champion. When nine-month-old Kunj Yadav was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, his mother Rita's world changed forever. Today, that same fear has become her calling. Rita Yadav with her son Kunj, now a healthy seven-year-old. Kunj today — full of laughter, life, and a love of school. The months after Kunj's diagnosis were filled with chemotherapy, surgery, and uncertainty. CanKids stood beside the family throughout, helping them navigate treatment and its challenges. Thanks to timely care, Kunj's second eye was saved, and today he is a healthy seven-year-old, full of laughter and life. For Rita, the experience became her calling. From fighting for her child's future, she went on to become a nurse at Safdarjung Hospital, supporting families walking a path she knows well. Behind every survivor is a network of care, compassion, and people who refuse to give up. "CanKids stood by us during our most difficult time and helped us rebuild our lives." — R I T A Y A D A V ⊕ G L O B A L C O R R E L A T I O N Rita's path from patient-parent to paediatric nurse mirrors a pattern seen across the global childhood-cancer community: caregivers who receive strong support during treatment often become long-term advocates, peer- supporters, or health workers themselves — a "survivor-to-caregiver" pipeline that parent-organisation networks like Childhood Cancer International have built peer-support models around. WHAT IT SIGNIFIES FOR CANKIDS This is CanKids' theory of change made visible in one family: support a child and parent well through crisis, and the story doesn't end at "cured" — it multiplies into someone else's care. For donors, it reframes a single grant as the seed of a compounding, self-renewing support network. "We didn't just help Kunj survive. We helped Rita become someone else's Kunj story."
CanKids · Stories of Care ISSUE 04 · MAY 2026 · PAGE 05 H O M E A W A Y F R O M H O M E · C H A N D I G A R H A Day Above the Clouds What does a fighter jet look like from the cockpit? How does it feel to sit where pilots command the skies? This month, children from CanKids' Home Away From Home in Chandigarh got to find out. Children from HAH Chandigarh with Indian Air Force personnel at the Air Force Heritage Museum. Inside the cabin — curiosity, excitement and laughter filled the day. During a special visit to an Air Force Heritage Museum, the children explored aircraft up close, sat inside a cockpit, interacted with fighter pilots, discovered the rich history of the Indian Air Force through fascinating exhibits, and experienced interactive VR and flight simulators that brought the world of aviation to life. They returned with bright smiles, unforgettable memories, and a new belief that dreams can soar higher than the clouds. ⊕ G L O B A L C O R R E L A T I O N Internationally recognised psychosocial standards of care for children with cancer — built through years of consensus among paediatric oncology bodies worldwide — treat a child's emotional and developmental wellbeing as clinically essential, not optional, alongside chemotherapy and surgery. Extended hospitalisation and isolation from ordinary childhood are globally documented risk factors for anxiety, delayed development, and even poorer treatment adherence. WHAT IT SIGNIFIES FOR CANKIDS A Home Away From Home isn't a shelter that happens to also offer outings — the outings are the intervention. A day spent as a child instead of as a patient is exactly the kind of psychosocial care that global standards now insist belongs in the treatment plan itself, which is why HAH is fundable as core programme cost, not as an "extra." "Healing isn't only what happens in the ward. It's what makes a child want to keep fighting." cankidsindia.org CanKids·KidsCan Page 05
CanKids · Stories of Care ISSUE 04 · MAY 2026 · PAGE 06 C Y C L E F O R G O L D · E D I T I O N V Kilometres of Cures and Compassion 2,241 cyclists. More than 1.2 million kilometres. One shared mission — giving children with cancer a fighting chance. Survivors and cyclists share the stage at a Cycle For Gold V medal ceremony. Riders celebrate finishing India's largest charity cycling challenge for children with cancer. Across Chandigarh, Kolkata, Mumbai, Surat, and many other cities, cyclists, survivors, children, doctors, families and supporters came together to celebrate the success of Cycle For Gold Edition V. The medal ceremonies were filled with joyful performances, emotional interactions, and heartfelt gratitude. Children and survivors shared the stage with cyclists who rode thousands of kilometres to support childhood cancer care — every kilometre ridden representing hope for a child fighting cancer. A CanKids team member presents finisher medals to a Cycle For Gold V rider team. ⊕ G L O B A L C O R R E L A T I O N Endurance-for-a-cause fundraising — cycling challenges and charity marathon bibs alike — has become one of the fastest-growing fundraising channels for health causes worldwide, precisely because it turns a fixed donor list into a moving, self-multiplying network: every rider recruits their own circle of sponsors. WHAT IT SIGNIFIES FOR CANKIDS Now in its fifth edition and billed as India's largest charity cycling challenge, Cycle For Gold converts thousands of ordinary citizens — not only wealthy donors — into direct, face-to-face contact with survivors at the medal stage. That shared experience is what keeps a rider giving next year too, making CFG as much a retention engine as a fundraising event. "Every kilometre a cyclist rides is a kilometre a child doesn't have to face alone."
CanKids · Stories of Care ISSUE 04 · MAY 2026 · PAGE 07 A N C C E A 2 0 2 6 · 1 5 T H & 1 6 T H E D I T I O N Children Who Shine Like Stars Every achievement tells a story. This May, at the Annual National Childhood Cancer Excellence Awards, CanKids celebrated children and survivors who have continued to pursue excellence despite cancer. A young ANCCEA awardee with her Citation of Honour. Award winners from FY 2023–24 and FY 2024–25 at the 15th & 16th ANCCEA ceremony. A NCCEA is CanKids' flagship advocacy and recognition initiative dedicated to upholding the Right to Education for children with cancer during and after treatment. The programme celebrates children and survivors who continue to shine in academics, creativity, sports, science & technology, and advocacy despite the challenges of cancer. This special edition recognised outstanding achievements from FY 2023–24 and FY 2024–25, bringing together educators, healthcare professionals and supporters from across India. With over 2,300 nominations received and more than 800 participants joining the celebrations across India, 48 ANCCEA Awards along with 3 KidsCan Konnect (KCK) Awards were presented to remarkable young achievers — a powerful reminder that cancer does not define a child's potential. ⊕ G L O B A L C O R R E L A T I O N The right of every child to continue their education is protected under Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Globally, the childhood-cancer community — through networks like Childhood Cancer International and observances like International Childhood Cancer Day — has been steadily shifting the finish line for success from "cured" to "cured, in school, and thriving." WHAT IT SIGNIFIES FOR CANKIDS ANCCEA operationalises that global principle at national scale in India, with over 2,300 nominations proving the scale of need and the scale of resilience. For donors focused on quality-of-life and life-after-cure outcomes — not only treatment funding — ANCCEA gives a concrete, measurable programme to invest in. "Survival is the beginning of the story, not the end of it."
CanKids · Stories of Care ISSUE 04 · MAY 2026 · PAGE 08 M O T H E R ' S D A Y · S E C O N D S U N D A Y O F M A Y The Foundation of Every Child's Hope Holding hands through fear. Celebrating every small victory. Believing when hope feels distant. This Mother's Day, CanKids honoured the women who make courage look effortless. Children celebrate Mother's Day with flowers, face paint and handmade cards. "I ♥ Mom" — a CanKids Mother's Day celebration for families in treatment. To all the mothers in the CanKids family — thank you for your courage, strength, and endless love. Every child who completes treatment, returns to school, smiles again, or dreams of the future does so because someone chose to stand beside them. ⊕ G L O B A L C O R R E L A T I O N Mother's Day is marked on the second Sunday of May in most countries worldwide. In paediatric oncology specifically, psychosocial research increasingly treats a parent under prolonged treatment-related stress as something close to a "second patient" — a framing that global parent-support networks like Childhood Cancer International have helped bring into mainstream care, because a caregiver's resilience measurably affects a child's treatment adherence and recovery. WHAT IT SIGNIFIES FOR CANKIDS Recognising mothers publicly isn't sentiment layered on top of clinical work — it reflects a growing global consensus that whole-family support is part of what makes treatment succeed. It is also a natural moment to speak to donor audiences drawn to "whole-family" giving, rather than single-child sponsorship alone. "Every survivor has a co-survivor who never left the room."
CanKids · Stories of Care ISSUE 04 · MAY 2026 · PAGE 09 S T A N D I N G T O G E T H E R F O R C H I L D R E N W I T H C A N C E R Partners in Hope: Every Gift Helps a Child Thrive The CanKids family keeps growing stronger, with every new supporter contributing to a shared mission of ensuring that no child with cancer is denied the chance to survive and thrive. ₹50L NAVIN FLUORINE New CSR partner, strengthening access to treatment and care for children with cancer. ₹11L+ DEUTSCHE BANK Raised through the employee-led "Hair for Hope" solidarity campaign. ₹8.25L DELOITTE / UNITED WAY BENGALURU Strengthened CanKids' Medical Assistance Fund for timely treatment. ★ N E W G O L D C I R C L E C H A M P I O N · M A Y 2 0 2 6 Dr. Carlos Rodriguez CanKids is delighted to welcome Dr. Carlos Rodriguez as the newest member of the Champions of Gold Circle — joining a small community of individual philanthropists whose committed annual giving underwrites the foundational, everyday work of finding and holding the hand of every child with cancer across India. We are delighted to welcome Navin Fluorine as a new CSR partner with a generous commitment of ₹50 lakh, strengthening access to treatment and care for children with cancer. Beyond financial support, many partners transformed compassion into action: through his personal fundraising campaign, Angkrish Raghuvanshi inspired friends and supporters to raise more than ₹7 lakh for children with cancer. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to our new individual supporters, including Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sanjeev Chhabra, Omprakash & Suman Kukreja, Harish Narayanan Ramchandran, Harish Kanit Lal Shaha, Poonam Verma Raghuvanshi, and Sreekant Anantharaman, whose generosity reflects the growing community of people choosing to make a difference. ₹7L+ RAISED BY ANGKRISH RAGHUVANSHI'S PERSONAL CAMPAIGN ₹69.25L+ FROM THREE LEAD CSR GIFTS ALONE ⊕ G L O B A L C O R R E L A T I O N India's Companies Act, 2013 (Section 135) remains one of the world's few legally mandated corporate social responsibility spending regimes — a framework studied internationally by ESG researchers and policymakers exploring how to move corporate giving from voluntary to structural. WHAT IT SIGNIFIES FOR CANKIDS Every partnership on this page — Navin Fluorine, Deutsche Bank, Deloitte and United Way Bengaluru among them — is a live case study in what that law was designed to achieve: statutory compliance converted into a measured child-survival outcome. "Where compliance becomes care." To every donor, partner, fundraiser, volunteer, stakeholder and supporter — thank you for believing in our children and walking this journey with us. Together, we continue to create brighter tomorrows, one child at a time. cankidsindia.org CanKids·KidsCan — Because every child deserves a fighting chance Page 09