More than 1200 cancer survivors came together to showcase their spirit of life.

Mumbai : An extraordinary amount of grit, determination and strength is required especially when it comes to fighting cancer or the big C. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to honour the pink courage, Dr Anil Director of Oncohope ACC, Head of Surgical Oncology at Fortis Hospital and secretary of Gopal Krishna Charitable Trust along with his team had organized an event to honour breast cancer survivors by sharing their stories of standing still, along with drawing attention to early detection, and treatment.

The event kicked off with a lamp-lighting ceremony and was followed by several activities, including drama, dance, skits, and other activities, which drew an energetic response from more than 1200 survivors present at the event. Prominent guests who were present for the event were Shri. Manoj Kotak, Member of Parliament, Shri. Mihir Kotecha, MLA, Dr Anagha Heroor, Chairperson of GKCT, Dr Anil Heroor, Secretary of GKCT along with the cancer survivors.

Hailing from different strata, they all gathered to share their stories of overcoming the disease and sharing their victorious tales. Inspiring others, a group of 150 women cancer survivors gave a mesmerizing dance performance, as they highlighted the need and importance to provide support and care to cancer patients along with their family members who stand supportive in the fight against this deadly disease.

Speaking at the occasion Dr.Anil Heroor, Secretary of GKCT and Head of Surgical Oncology at Fortis Hospital Mumbai said, “Many times when patients or their family members get diagnosed with cancer, it breaks their confidence and it becomes a very  challenging task to keep their hopes high. Today, there are advanced treatments available and now patients can fight cancers and live long lives. This program is the classic example of showing the spirit of cancer survivors who have fought successfully.”

Dr. Heroor also announced that they have  the 2nd edition of their previous book named – Phoenixche Manogat (फिनिक्सचे मनोगत) releasing soon which will be a collection of inspiring stories of cancer survivors and how they stood up to it!

Speaking at the event, Mr Manoj Kotak said, “Awareness, prevention and early diagnosis are the key factors in treating or overcoming breast cancer. The initiative taken by GKCT to conduct such an event and encourage more women to get their breast screening done and educate them on breast cancer risk reduction is truly commendable. This event is their celebration of winning back life!”

“In an effort to help underprivileged women get access to mammography screenings, GKCT has a dedicated mammography van that travels across rural regions and provides screenings for more than 15000 rural women, 5000+ of whom have received mammography tests. The NGO is constantly dedicated to raising awareness for patients to get access to cancer care treatments for society in line with the vision of Mr Gopalkrishna Heroor (Founder of this trust) who was a very philanthropic person.” Dr Anil reveals.