One Meal at a Time

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Feed the hungry, visit the sick, and set free the captives.” (Bukhari)

Want to help but can’t afford much? Can you afford the cost of a meal?

Treating cancer is not cheap. But even a monetary sum, a small act of kindness, can make a world of difference.

Patients who qualify for free treatment at Shaukat Khanum Hospital, are in dire need. Most travel long distances, from remote villages, to come to our hospitals. Often they spend what little money they have, or were able to borrow, on the journey to get here. Without an income, in a strange city, they are hard pressed to afford a place to stay. Being admitted and starting their treatment is a ray of hope. But with what’s left of their funds, many can’t even afford one proper meal a day.

Another issue is malnutrition –a dire result of poverty. It can make you sick or more susceptible to disease. Our staff at Shaukat Khanum Hospital find that most needy patients are undernourished even before they begin treatment. To ensure they have a fair chance at recovery and respond well to treatment, their malnutrition must be addressed immediately. Yet the essential vitamins and supplements they lack are far beyond their financial means.

At Shaukat Khanum Hospital, our staff do all they can to offer support to needy patients and their families. The treatment we provide is paid for by generous donors, and we cut no corners in providing them with the best care. But treatment does not include the cost of food, and this is where your small act of kindness comes in. If you can give the cost of a meal, you can help a cancer patient eat back at cancer, one meal at a time.

£5 can feed a patient three meals a day £75 can feed a patient for 30 days

Boosting Strength; Boosting Morale

Our patients need to be strong. Because most of them aren’t just fighting cancer, they’re also fighting the cure.

While destroying fast-growing cancer cells, chemotherapy also affects normal, healthy cells and tissue. This is why patients receiving chemotherapy often struggle with heavy side effects like hair loss, fatigue, anaemia, constipation, easy bruising or bleeding, as well as nausea and vomiting. Many of our patients face a loss of appetite and even struggle to keep down their food. Can you imagine how demoralising it must be for a patient, when he/she vomits food that was so hard to afford?

With every patient reacting differently to treatment, it’s vital to ensure each receives a diet tailored to their needs and condition. At Shaukat Khanum Hospital, we personalise the dietary plan for every patient, ensuring they get exactly the right nutrients in the right way at the right juncture of their treatment. So in the worst cases, when it becomes impossible for a patient to eat, they are drip-fed and given the supplements they require intravenously.

This is how feeding a cancer patient can boost strength and morale –both of which go hand in hand and are essential to recovery. Without the worry of where their next meal will come from, patients can focus on tackling the other difficulties of their treatment. With the energy and stamina to withstand the side-effects of chemotherapy, they can put up a better fight against cancer itself, with hope and positivity.

So yes, cancer treatment is expensive. But this is how a monetary sum, a mere £5, can make a world of difference to a needy patient. Your small donation can help a patient eat back at cancer, one meal at a time.

£5 can feed a patient three meals a day £75 can feed a patient for 30 days

Find out more about our Feed a Patient Appeal, and watch the video message from Shaukat Khanum Clinical Nutritionist, Rashidah Javid.

Watch our video Back to Latest News