The Little Sunflowers Project

In China, an average of nearly 40,000 new malignant childhood cancers are diagnosed each year, with leukaemia being the most common. When a child is diagnosed as having leukaemia, their parents want only the best treatment for them, but what happens when there are limited paediatric oncologists and medicines available? Medical services have to be paid for in China and many families still live in poverty.

For families living in poverty in Liaoning Province, the shock of learning that their child has a potentially life-limiting illness is made worse by:
– trying to raise funds to pay for treatment
– trying to understand the emotional impact on their child
– getting information so they can provide a supportive environment
– dealing with lack of support and understanding from wider society.

The SCCG is working with the Caritas Social Service Centre in Shenyang, in North East China to fund a team of three staff who will work with patients, family members, medical and nursing staff and the wider society to:
– provide practical and emotional support for patients and families
– increase understanding; and,
– decrease isolation through group activities and workshops raise public awareness of childhood leukaemia.

The Caritas Social Service Centre already operate a ‘Little Sunflowers’ service in a hospital setting but they would dearly like to establish this project in a rural context.

In 2019, for the #Kiltwalk charity walk in four Scottish cities, ‘Team SCCG’ raised just under £3000 for the Little Sunflowers project. For 2020’s virtual event, we raised £1860.