Bhubaneswar: Since 2017 she has been counselling cancer patients, their families and friends. She is available 24×7 as a pillar of strength to countless distraught people needing emotional, mental and spiritual succour. Apart from counseling, she has been tirelessly holding cancer awareness programmes among the underprivileged sections of society. Her transition from a high-salaried HR personnel to a full-time counsellor marks a significant shift in her life’s mission. Her decision to resign from the lavish job in 2017 to dedicate herself for the noble cause demonstrates her unwavering commitment to making sustainable, impactful changes in the fight against cancer. Most importantly, she is not a doctor. But her effort to create a cancer-free society is laudable.
Yes, we are talking about social worker and founder of KRIAA Foundation Lili Jenamani who is bringing smiles to faces that were once overshadowed by cancer’s gloom. As many as 20,000 cancer patients have been benefitted by her organization. Apart from counselling, her organization assists patients and caregivers in navigating the complex journey of cancer. Also, her organization does the screening of cancer patients with the help of doctors. Apart from providing analysis of cancer diagnoses and treatment, her team has introduced a nutrition bank to provide nutritious food to the needy cancer patients. Her vision is simple yet powerful – a cancer-free society. Her bright smile and cheerful personality have helped many patients warm up to her.
In a candid chat with Ommcom News, Lili shares her story how the death of her father-in-law ignited a passion in her to serve cancer patients belonging to poor families.
Before working for the noble cause, Lili had a diverse career. She had worked as HR in Kalinga Hospital and the steel and mining industries. And she was getting fat salary. But she left her HR job for a noble mission.
Upon being asked what inspired you to leave your cushy job, she answered, “I lost my father-in-law in cancer. Despite working as an HR in the healthcare sector, I could not figure out the reason he was suffering from cancer. By the time we could identify the disease, it was too late. He was in the last stage of cancer and he died after a few days of cancer diagnosis. This loss affected me to the core. I couldn’t save my father-in-law despite being financially sound and having good connections with doctors. It just happened because we were not aware of the disease. I was disturbed by the thought of how underprivileged people deal with disease. It was then I thought of holding cancer awareness programmes in 2018.”
“Dealing with emotions during treatment of cancer is very difficult. That’s why, I want people suffering from the disease to feel supported. I make them feel that they are not alone in this difficult time” said Lili.
She feels that counselling is one of the most integral parts of oncology treatment that not only makes the patient feel better but also the family that goes through upheaval.
“Initially, I organised cancer awareness programmes and seminars in collaboration with organizations like Rotary Club and Lion’s Club. Later, I chose to work independently as a freelancer. Gradually, I stepped towards starting my cancer foundation in the name of KRIAA. Reaching out to tribal communities in remote areas for cancer treatment was an uphill task for my foundation. I observed that cancer patients belonging to tribal districts generally are getting deprived of appropriate medical care due to language barriers and lack of awareness. Our foundation collaborated with local outfits, including Anganwadi workers who directly connect to villages, to provide necessary information and training on cancer prevention. Our primary focus lies in early prevention and awareness. We create positivity among cancer patients. It won’t be wrong to say that we strive to maximize outreach and educate communities on the importance of early detection and treatment”, explained Lili about her organization in short.
After holding awareness programmes, Lili realized that there is a need of screening of cancer patients for early detection. Meanwhile, they have started providing nutrition to cancer patients.
“I really felt bad when a Bolangir-based little girl Jamuna (name changed) died of cancer. We were taking proper care of her. She had almost recovered from the disease. After going home, her condition all of sudden deteriorated and she died. We contacted her family members and sadden to know that she died due to lack of nutrition. As her family members were very poor, they failed to provide nutritious food to Jamuna. Since then, we have opened a nutrition bank for the needy patients”, she maintained.
“As we are looking after children suffering from cancer, we make sure to provide education. As children spend most of the days in hospitals as part of cancer treatment, they fail to attend school. So, we make sure to teach them apart from counselling and providing nutrition to them.”
Of late, her organization earned accolades for holding competitions like reel making, and poster making based on the theme on cancer. It indirectly educates the youth mass about cancer.
Talking about cancer status in Odisha, “Cancer patients are on the rise in our state. In 2023-24, as many as 55,000 new cancer cases have been detected while the number was 50,000 in the previous year. Survivor rate is very low in Odisha. Early detection will certainly help reduce the number of deaths.”
By Rashmi Rekha Das
