A few words of kindness. A smile. A tear shed in sympathy. A joke shared. Hands held to comfort in times of distress. A gift of a fragrant rose... M N Hukku and Kiran Hukku believe it's small things like these that can make a difference for people who know they are dying of cancer. And it was this belief that prompted them to open the Delhi branch of the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA).

CPAA now plans to organise Rose Day on September 22 all over the country. In New Delhi, the event will be held at the Shanti Avedhna Ashram, near the Safdarjung Hospital, from 10 am till 12 noon. During the course of the Rose Day festivities, several of the Capital's celebrities-Kiran Bedi,Pawan Verma, Manpreet Brar and Blossom Kochhar, among them-will visit the ashram and spend time with the patients there, helping them to put their troubles behind them for a while.

Says Kochhar, ``I feel very close to cancer patients and can understand their pain. These patients need more than we can do for them and I am willing to give them anything they want.''

Former Miss India Manpreet Brar says, ``When you meet these terminally ill patients, your own troubles seem trivial. They, too, have a right to be happy and CPAA is doing a big thing for them.''

``People need to know about the pain these patients are going through, it is not only physical, but emotional and mental as well,'' adds Brar. ``I don't want to help just once, I want to be more involved. Whenever the CPAA needs me, I will always be there for these patients.''

The Rose Day helps build in certain long-term facilities for cancer patients. Support endeavours such as `Bosom Pals', a fraternity of breast cancer patients, and the `Winnersin Life Club' for patients and well wishers are schemes that have evolved out of Project Rose Day.

According to Sudha Murgai, manager project co-ordination, ``It is only very recently that we started involving others in our activities. We want them to know that such an organisation exists in the country. It is not very easy to remove the pain of these patients, but we do attempt to do special things for them so that their pain eases a bit.''

Several corporate houses have also been extending their help. Reckitt & Coleman provides medicines and other health products. Traders Association has offered to provide gifts. CTC Plaza has donated sarees. Indian Oil is also extending some help, she adds.

Rose Day will also see school-children visit the cancer patients and put up a cultural programme for them. Not only this, patients from Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and All India Institute of Medical Sciences will also join the patients. During the function, the patients will also get to sharetheir experiences in an effort to motivate each other.

``What we will try to do is to make the patients feel special, to make it their day,'' explains Brar. ``The first time I met these patients was when CPAA took them out to Appu Ghar a couple of months ago. It was then that I realised that there was more pain than we could imagine.''

Contact address: Cancer Patients Aid Association
Head Office: 5, Malhotra House, Opp GPO, Fort
Mumbai-400001, Ph:+022-2698964/2693790, Fax:+022-2697255
Delhi Branch: G-67-B, Kalkaji, New Delhi. Ph:6474212.