On Saturday, December 10, the Cancer Society of The Bahamas celebrated yet another successful annual Children with Cancer and Sickle Cell Christmas party. Despite economic depression, the event went off without a hitch and was bigger and better than ever. For nine-year-old Tenia Cash, a survivor of osteosarcoma (bone cancer), being able to share this festive time of the year with other children going through similar health situations really made her happy. From playing in a bouncing castle to being able to eat pizza and popcorn, she had the opportunity to be happy and carefree like any child her age should.
"I had a lot of fun and I could play and have fun with the other kids," she said. "I saw some of the other kids who went to the hospital with me out here. I don't see them a lot except in the hospital, so it was fun to see them outside having fun too." Cash, who was one of the few children able to attend the entire party from start to finish (1 p.m. - 5 p.m.), says she wishes more of her peers could have stayed if they were in better health, but the few minutes she was able to spend with them was more than enough for her.
With Christmas around the corner and most young people already dreaming about the toys, games and clothes they will receive throughout the season, it's easy to forget that there are children like Cash whose sole Christmas wish is to remain healthy enough to spend time with their families this holiday. Being out of the doctor's office long enough at this time of the year in addition to being able to spend time as a family at this event really puts the icing on the cake according to Hattie Balfour, a 16-year-old survivor of leukemia.
"It is good to see that I lived to see all these years and am able to tell my story," says the 10th grader. "I remember attending this party when I was still battling cancer and every year since I was four-years-old I have been coming out. Now I am older and I am happy to be able to be here for the younger kids. "The party's really a good thing for the little kids especially. It gives them something to look forward to after going through so much stress. I am happy to be able to come again. The party is definitely even better this year," says Balfour.
The event couldn't have gone any better according to Vonnisha Armbrister, marketing manager at Caribbean Bottling Company (Coca Cola), the major sponsor of the event for the last three years. She says even with the bad economy, the company made it a point to continue the Christmas party and let the children know they are remembered and loved.
"This was a very important initiative to us. Often times people donate to these kids throughout the course of the year but Christmas time many corporations spend a ton of money on advertisements and other events and they tend to forget that charities still need help," she says.
"Most of these kids spend the year in and out of the hospital and when they do have a little time outside it is good to be around people who are not thinking of them as sick kids but instead just regular kids looking to have some fun." The marketing manager says the event was a testament of a community coming together better than ever. There was music, face painting, a bouncing castle, candy, popcorn, cotton candy pizza sponsored by Marco's Pizza, cupcakes sponsored by Something Different and even Santa Claus showed up to take pictures with the children.
What really made the event even more special was a rushout by the Colors Junkanoo group. The live performance really excited the children especially as most of them would not have the opportunity to go out during the annual parades. "We are really happy with the turn out of the kids and their families," says Armbrister. "We had about 100 who came out but since many of them are still really sick or going through chemotherapy they could only show up for half an hour and then had to leave. Even so it was good to have them out and able to have fun for a bit."
Melissa Major, president of the Freedom Survivors cancer support group for young adults (ages 18-39) and Freedom kids cancer support group for children (ages 0-18) says she is touched and very happy that the annual Christmas party for the children has been able to persevere. As a nine-year survivor of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, the 36-year-old cancer patient advocate says she knows the importance in having small moments of normalcy during such turbulent times in your life.
"It's great that we have had such good support in getting this party going from year to year. It's a really important initiative to keep up because the kids and even the young adults who are battling cancer need something to pick them up," she says. It's easy to take for granted most things in life but knowing that you can look forward to this Christmas party helps the kids to put on a brave face and be excited about something.
"It's a day they can say, 'What cancer? Forget about it!' and just have fun," says Major. "I am really happy it could take place again this year. It's really special to me and to all the kids and parents who come out from year to year." For Lydia Johnson, mother of four-year-old Eden Hall who was diagnosed with sickle-cell anemia at five months, the special Christmas party is a good gesture that really lifts her spirits at this time of the year.
"It's been an up and down experience with my daughter so to me this event happening is really a bright spot for us," says the mother. "It's a good thing that the doctors who deal with these kids make it a point to hold something like this for them because it provides them with a change in pace and helps them to feel normal," she points out. "There is a lot that these kids go through throughout the year with all the medication, hospitalization and injections. So I greatly appreciate this party and I am sure the kids do too."
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