Would you have guessed, for instance, that getting your head shaved bald can assist people living with cancer?
There are many foundations worldwide that have taken this approach, in which supporters offer donations on behalf of those having their heads shaved. Among them is the US-based St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which has hosted more than 220 events since its inception in 2000, and can count 33,000 people with shaved heads, including 4,000 women, on its list of accomplishments.
St. Baldrick’s has raised $13.9 million to date for life-saving childhood cancer research. The symbolic act of shaving heads is a sign of solidarity that is also popular in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore. Theses global efforts have helped increase early detection of cancer.
And now, Shave for Hope has arrived in Indonesia.
Shave for Hope’s inaugural event will be held at Gandaria City mall on May 27, and hopes to attract more than 1,000 participants ready to have their heads shaved bald (or very short) to raise money and awareness for kids with cancer.
“We focus on the public, making it easy for them to donate and join,” said Steny Agustaf, a Shave for Hope activist. “We must admit, our country is far behind others when it comes to getting actively involved in community movements. Therefore, we need to have creative and unique projects to entice more people to lend a hand.”
The event will be organized by Yayasan Pita Kuning Anak Indonesia (Indonesian Foundation for Cancer Kids), a nongovernmental organization that supports children with cancer at the Dharmais Cancer Hospital in Jakarta.
In Indonesia, an estimated 120 children out of every million have cancer. The most common types are acute leukemia and retinoblastoma. Like many cancers, retinoblastoma is most curable when detected early, but unfortunately, many children are diagnosed too late.
With aggressive detection in mind, organizers of the May 27 event are determined to introduce programs to raise awareness, money and support. But Shave for Hope’s unique approach has another equally important aim.
Upon hearing the word cancer, the first thing that comes to many people’s mind is chemotherapy and its inevitable side effects, including hair loss. Losing one’s hair can be a visual stigma that also means a loss of confidence, and in the fight against cancer, a strong mental outlook is essential.
“There are still many misconceptions about cancer, such as it being a contagious disease that excludes children from being ‘normal’ in society. We want to erase those misconceptions by raising awareness of child cancer,” said Casey Tjahaja, a public relations officer of the Asian Medical Students Association Indonesia, a collaborator with YPKAI.
“With the Shave for Hope idea, we want to show these children that being bald should not stop them from being confident and fighting for their dreams.”
But the battle for confidence is just one hurdle in the war against cancer. Medical treatment for the disease is expensive — on average, each round of chemotherapy costs about Rp 7 million ($780), with 10 or more rounds of treatment often necessary.
“Shave for Hope also hopes to raise funds, because 80 to 90 percent of cancer patients in Dharmais have Gakin or Jamkesmas cards [government health insurance to the poor], and many treatments are not covered by the government,” said Casey, who is at medical school and has been a volunteer at YPKAI since high school.
YPKAI also offers fun activities for young patients, such as craft classes. Anything that helps put a smile on the kids’ faces, so they temporarily forget the pain, are small but helpful diversions along the road to recovery. The handicrafts that are made by the children will also be sold to help raise funds during the Shave for Hope event in May.
Women who go under the razor will have their hair sold for charity. The committee has been working hard to get sponsors and female participants, and hair removal volunteers are expected to reach 1,000, with a target of Rp 100 million in funds to be raised.
“How much money we raise depends on the donations by sponsors,” said Steny, the Shave for Hope activist. “We are striving to let as many people as possible know about this program. We encourage social media activists and bloggers to help spread the news.”
“We already have a few music acts, such as Maliq & D’Essentials, 21st Night, and Abdul & The Coffee Theory,” Casey said. “We’ll have talk show sessions to discuss child cancer in Indonesia, a gallery exhibiting the artwork that the children have made throughout the years. Basically, we want it to be uplifting and cheerful.”
Doctor Diana Maryam Leiwakabessy, an announcer at KIS FM Radio Jakarta, has made a pact to have her long curly hair shaved off if donations reach Rp 50 million.
“My 3-year-old niece suffers from leukemia,” Diana said. “Although her dad’s company covers the whole treatment, I feel for others who are less fortunate. I want to do something to help them but I don’t have that much money, so when I heard about the Shave for Hope event, I was personally moved to participate. Who knows, maybe we can collect a lot of money for the kids’ sake.”
If the event is successful, Shave for Hope might be held annually, so get ready to see bald heads dotting the city.
It’s worth remembering — Shave for Hope is not just a great way to help kids in need, but also offers a small benefit to participants: They won’t need to buy bottles of shampoo for a month or two!
To donate or register, visit www.shaveforhope.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment