Couple Helps 6,000 Kids Get Free Cancer Care in India

When five-year-old Rajib Malakar traveled from rural Tripura to Chennai for kidney cancer treatment in 2022, his parents quickly realized they couldn't afford both medical care and city hotel costs. They nearly gave up and returned home until they discovered St. Jude India ChildCare Centres, where they've stayed ever since at no cost.

The nonprofit has helped over 6,000 children like Rajib access life-saving cancer treatment without the impossible choice between medical care and basic needs. Founder Nihal Kaviratne launched the first centre in Mumbai after discovering families camping on pavements outside Tata Memorial Hospital because they had nowhere else to go.

Kaviratne, a retired Unilever executive, and his wife Shyama opened their first eight-family centre near the hospital in April 2006. They understood what many healthcare systems miss: cancer treatment requires more than medicine.

Today, 39 centres operate across nine cities, offering children and their families free accommodation, nutritious meals, transportation to hospitals, counseling, and education during treatment. The organization welcomes any child with cancer, regardless of their family's economic status.

The Ripple Effect

The centres provide specialized multi-grade education so kids don't fall behind while fighting cancer. Teachers design activity-based lessons with group discussions, experiments, art projects, and computer education that adapt to each child's energy levels and learning pace.

This holistic approach addresses a critical gap in India's cancer care system. Childhood cancer is highly curable when caught early and treated consistently, but many families from rural areas abandon treatment halfway through because they run out of money for food and shelter in unfamiliar cities.

"We provide a home away from home," says CEO Anil Nair. The centres ensure that distance and poverty don't determine whether a child survives cancer.

Rajib's mother Sabika says the support gave her son a lifeline. Beyond providing basic necessities, the centre allowed the family to focus entirely on what matters: Rajib's recovery.

Eighteen years after starting with eight families, the organization continues expanding its reach to bridge the gap between diagnosis and cure for India's most vulnerable children.