“Accept what is, let go what was and have faith in what will be”.
This was the theme for the Daffodil Day event hosted on Friday by the Cancer Foundation at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
The purpose of the event was to celebrate the lives of those fighting cancer as well as promote this month’s cancer awareness and to create a public health education forum.
Coordinator of the Oncology Unit, Dr Peter Olali explained the meaning of the day as a way of celebrating those fighting cancer and at the same time creating awareness about the different types of cancer.
“Daffodil Day is basically to celebrate every form of cancer. As for this month, we try to give hope to each of these cancer patients as we commemorate this special day.”
Olali explained how cancer can come about; either as a lifestyle disease or as a genetic composition.
He added that cancer is the third common cause of death in the country after HIV and Aids and Tuberculosis.
Olali said that cancer can be a devastating time for patients as well as for their family, that is why events like the Daffodil Day are celebrated to provide them with a sense of hope and comfort.
Among invited guests, were also survivors who gave their testimonies of the how they dealt with cancer.
Rakara Raula, a mother of three children and survivor of cancer spoke about the encounters she faced when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago.
“Cancer came as a shock to me; I didn’t know how to take it. My cancer was detected at an early stage in which I had to undergo chemo therapy as part of my treatment.”
Raula said that she had to go through a lot of treatments and tests, including four cycles of two different chemo therapy and thirty cycles of radiation.
“I fought this cancer since 2019, and now I have been cancer free for two years however, it is important that we must change our lifestyle in terms of eating healthy food, taking part in physical activities and making sure that our body has enough rest.”
Raula expressed how she always had faith in God whom she knew, blessed her with doctors who were able to help her heal.
Though it was a devastating time for her and her family, she never gave up.
She concluded by encouraging all young ladies and women to go for a regular checkup and to every person to change their lifestyle in order to live a longer and healthier life.
The Cancer Unit is proud to host this event as they continue to help cancer patients by giving them the best treatment they need and to promote awareness to as many communities as they can about cancer and how it can be avoided.