Donation from Lion Club of Addis Ababa-Cosmopolitan
Lions Club of Addis Ababa-Cosmopolitan organized fund-raising bingo night at Sheraton Addis, on May 18, 2010 to raise fund for children suffering of retinoblastoma and children in need of open-heart surgery.
Small hand over program was organized on June 15, 2010 at Sheraton Addis starting 4:00PM.Representatives of Lions Club of Addis Ababa Cosmopolitan, International Women’s Club and Mathiwos Wondu-YeEthiopia Cancer Society attended the program. At the program, Lion Club-Addis Ababa Cosmopolitan and International Women’s Club handed over Birr 19,140.70 Birr 6,000 respectively. As per the agreement reached with organizations the money donated will be used to finance project intended to support children suffering of retinoblastoma.
Hon Dr.Med.TebebeYemane Brhan, far left handing over the donation to Mr.Wondu Bekele, General Manager of MWECS.
Partial view of the program.
Encouraged by the we are getting from Lions Club and International Women’s Club and others we have developed Cancer Impact Mitigation Project the total cost of which is Birr 800,000 (USD 60,000) intended to improve the below standard cancer treatment at the Black Lion Hospital focusing on reducing the suffering of the children and increasing their survival rate.
The staffs at Mathiwos Wondu-YeEthiopia Cancer Society would like to thank Lion Club of Ethiopia, Lions Club of Addis Ababa-Cosmopolitan and International Women’s Club for their continued support. We would like to thank all staffs of the three organizations and Lion Pina in particular for her all her efforts to help our society realizes its objectives. Our achievement to improve the lives of cancer patients in general and pediatric cancer patients and their families in particular were made possible by their generous support and involvement. Taking in to account the peculiar condition we are in, we know that we can’t change all cancer related problems here in Ethiopia in a foreseeable future, but still we can change something today.
What is retinoblastoma?
Retinoblastoma is a rare type of eye cancer that usually develops in early childhood, typically before the age of 5. This form of cancer develops in the retina, which is the specialized light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye that detects light and color.
In most children with retinoblastoma, the disease affects only one eye. However, one out of three children with retinoblastoma develops cancer in both eyes. The most common first sign of retinoblastoma is a visible whiteness in the pupil called "cat's eye reflex" or leukocoria. This unusual whiteness is particularly noticeable in photographs taken with a flash. Other signs and symptoms of retinoblastoma include crossed eyes or eyes that do not point in the same direction (strabismus); persistent eye pain, redness, or irritation; and blindness or poor vision in the affected eye(s).
Retinoblastoma is often curable when it is diagnosed early. However, if it is not treated promptly, this cancer can spread beyond the eye to other parts of the body. This advanced form of retinoblastoma can be life-threatening.
When retinoblastoma is associated with a gene mutation that occurs in all of the body's cells, it is known as germinal retinoblastoma. People with this form of retinoblastoma also have an increased risk of developing several other cancers outside the eye. Specifically, they are more likely to develop a cancer of the pineal gland in the brain (pinealoma), a type of bone cancer known as osteosarcoma, cancers of soft tissues such as muscle, and an aggressive form of skin cancer called melanoma.
How common is retinoblastoma?
Retinoblastoma is diagnosed in 250 to 350 children per year in the United States. It accounts for about 4 percent of all cancers in children younger than 15 years. For further information and details on retinoblastoma refer to our web site.