For children living with cancer and their families, the journey can be difficult, but stories of survival continue to show that the diagnosis does not have to be the end. This message of hope was at the heart of the 10th annual Cancer Awareness Walk organised by the Okapi Children Cancer Foundation (OCCF) in Abuja.
Held under the theme, “Step by Step, We Rewrite the Story,” the walk brought together residents, survivors, volunteers, parents, medical professionals and supporters to raise awareness about childhood cancer and encourage greater support for affected families.
Over the years, OCCF has intervened in more than 200 cases and raised over N25 million to support children undergoing cancer treatment. Its interventions include emotional, psychological and financial assistance to children receiving treatment at recognised public hospitals with oncology services in Abuja.
For the foundation’s founder and chief volunteer, Oluwakemi Adekanye, the work is deeply personal. The initiative was inspired by the death of her brother, Tunde Ogungbayi, popularly known as Okapi, who died of cancer in 2017. What began as a humanitarian effort among friends has grown into a sustained campaign supporting children and families facing the challenges of cancer.
Despite the difficulties involved in sustaining such work, Adekanye said the stories of children who survive cancer and continue to live fulfilling lives make the effort worthwhile.
One survivor who participated in the walk described the experience as a reminder of a battle she had once faced. She said the support she received during treatment gave her the strength to keep fighting and encouraged other children undergoing treatment to believe that they can also survive and pursue their dreams.
Her story captured the message behind the campaign: hope can grow even in difficult circumstances.
Supporters at the event also emphasised that families affected by childhood cancer need more than medical treatment. Financial assistance, emotional encouragement and continued community support can help ease the burden of treatment and give families the strength to continue.
Eight-year-old participant Etuh Jesse-wealth said he joined the walk to stand with children fighting cancer, noting that every child deserves the opportunity to survive, grow and fulfil their dreams.
Medical professionals and volunteers also used the occasion to encourage awareness and early action, stressing the importance of early detection, proper treatment and sustained support throughout the treatment journey.
For OCCF volunteer Hawa, the foundation’s decade-long campaign demonstrates the importance of keeping childhood cancer in public conversation. She called for the message to reach more communities so that more children can receive the support they need.
The walk also demonstrated the power of collective action. Journalists, parents, young people, medical professionals, volunteers and members of the public walked together with one message: children battling cancer deserve hope, care and the opportunity to dream about their future.
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As OCCF continues its work, the stories of survivors provide a reason for optimism. Every child who receives support, every family that finds encouragement and every survivor who moves forward represents another reminder that cancer does not have to define a child’s entire story.
Step by step, hope continues to grow.
