My name is Vijayshree Iyer. I am 13 years old and a Grade 8 student at the EuroSchool, Airoli, Mumbai.

I have undertaken this campaign to support children who have cancer and their families with a monthly ration basket.

Nutrition is a critical element in the treatment of these children who go through the difficult journey of fighting cancer. Although there are several people and organizations that sponsor the treatment of financially stressed patients, there are very few that help out with an equally important issue - their food and their nutrition.

Children from low-income homes are often malnourished. Malnourished patients respond poorly to medical interventions such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or surgery, with increased episodes of toxicity, interruptions in hospital admissions, and inability to take timely chemotherapy in full doses, leading to a poor response to treatment. Overall, malnutrition increases the rate of abandonment of therapy and doubles the risk of death due to cancer.

This campaign aims to alleviate the stress on the family of those affected. By providing the rations for the child and the family, we can ensure the child is receiving the required nutrients for battling cancer.

The cost of one life-saving nutrition basket is only ₹4500—a small price for a child's chance to win the battle.