Healing Beyond Treatment

As our rickshaw pulled up to a lush green campus in Kharghar, we walked up the

stairs towards the vibrant orange logo emerging from a patch of greenery at the St.

Jude India ChildCare Centres. ‘This is nothing like I imagined it would be’ I caught myself thinking. There, we met Prajana Shetty, who graciously showed us around the

facility. With sanitized hands and a blue mask strapped on, we didn't realize we

were about to experience something that would leave us feeling so hopeful and full.

“It takes a village to raise a child.”

St. Jude India ChildCare Centres embody this idea in every sense. Built for children from lower socio-economic backgrounds undergoing pediatric cancer treatment, the

organization was created to solve a difficult reality that many families discontinue

treatment not because they lose hope, but because surviving in a metro city while

caring for a sick child becomes financially impossible. While treatment at hospitals

like Tata Memorial Hospital is heavily subsidized, the cost of accommodation, food,

and caregiving still places enormous pressure on families. St.Jude bridges this gap. What stood out the most was how intentionally every aspect of the centre was

designed to reduce that pressure. St. Jude creates an ecosystem of care that

prioritizes nutrition, emotional well-being, safety, and community for both the child

and the caregivers.

Start Small, Think Big

The facility began by supporting just eight families. Over the years, it has grown into

a network that now supports nearly 800 families annually. Yet despite its scale, the

organization has managed to preserve a strong sense of closeness. Survivors,

fondly known as Judians, often remain connected to the community and become

constant reminders of resilience for incoming families.

Community at the Centre of Care

What makes this place feel truly special is its sense of community. Cancer can

otherwise be an incredibly isolating journey. Not just for the child, but also for parents who are expected to put aside their own fear and grief while becoming full-

time caregivers. St. Jude responds to this with robust systems built around emotional support. Families attend induction counselling sessions where they are introduced to the process through information and success stories. New families are paired with “buddy families” to help them settle in.

Community kitchens, nutrition-focused activities like MasterChef events, tailoring

classes for mothers, and computer classes for fathers, all contribute towards

restoring a sense of normalcy in the lives of the kids & parents. Initiatives like

animal therapy with a golden retriever, Cooper, bring in further excitement among

the kids.

Thoughtful Space Design

The space itself reflects the organization’s philosophy of well-being. Bright orange

walls covered in positive quotes, children’s paintings, and colorful interiors make the

facility feel warm and homelike. The rooms follow a no-door policy and are

separated only by curtains, encouraging interaction and allowing voices to travel

easily across the floor in case someone needs help. While this arrangement may

initially seem intrusive, the staff shared that they have never received privacy

complaints.

Even the smallest design choices feel intentional. The rooms do not have mirrors,

since children undergoing chemotherapy often lose their hair and may struggle with

their self-image. Whiteboards equipped with magnets, markers, and temperature

trackers help parents monitor their child’s health while also giving children a space

to celebrate small victories. A classroom, a beautifully designed library, a 24-hour

ambulance service, and emergency support systems further show how thoughtfully

every part of the centre has been planned.

Professionalism with Empathy

Another thing that struck me was the professionalism of the staff. No medical

treatment takes place at St. Jude and the social workers there are careful not to

offer medical advice. Instead, they focus on emotional support by listening,

reassuring, and guiding families. We briefly interacted with some of the children during our visit, but what stayed with me most was watching the staff engage with them in a way that was empathic, with patience & positivity.

For an organization that has already built and sustained something so impactful, it

would be easy to assume they have reached their goal. After all, bringing down

treatment abandonment from 30% in 2006 to 2% in 2002 is a huge feat. But

St.Jude sees its work as far from complete. They currently support around 1,000 of

the nearly 32,000 children diagnosed with cancer in India every year. St. Jude

stands as a tall, proud reminder that while treatment may happen in hospitals,

healing often happens in the spaces that make people feel seen, supported, and

less alone. This was the story of how a home away from home was built, where

healing extends far beyond treatment.